DARLENE SAGA: PARTS 12 TO 16
by Storyseeker
Summary: The story of the youngest Vene is revealed, as well as a dark secret.
1. Remorse: PART 12

**_All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company._**  
**_No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder._**  
**_All original characters are the property of Storyseeker._**

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**One Week Later; Destine Manor: **

Lana kept glancing back and forth, making sure that no one was around to see her take the bottle. When she was sure that no one was close by, she reached in and took the other bottle of whiskey from its cupboard and hid it under her wing.

After taking another look to be sure, she sneaked out of the kitchen and made her way back up the stairs to her.

As she neared the door to her room, she was just about to open it when…

"Lana?"

Lana gasped and spun around with her hand to her heart. "Jeeesus mom, can't you give anyone a little warning before you go give them a heart attack?"

Darlene rolled her eyes. "Sorry, but what exactly are you doing?"

Lana kept her wings cloaked around her, concealing the bottle beneath them. "Just went to get a coke."

"A coke?" Darlene remarked. "But you only just woke half an hour ago."

"So?" Lana defended herself. "I can have a coke whenever I want, can't I?"

Darlene blinked and then finally sighed and shrugged. "Alright, it's your body so you can do what you want. Just don't come crying to me when all your teeth fall out."

"Don't worry, I won't," Lana replied and shut the door behind her.

Darlene stared at the closed door for a few moments, before shaking her head and walked away.

Inside, Lana instantly grabbed the cork of the bottle, twisting it until it came out. She had had the same dream again, always the same where Thailog appeared with his face deformed, because of her, and had her chained and was raping her and telling her how she loved it and so.

Lana moaned, feeling her stomach churn as she could still taste Thailog from when he kissed her. She frantically worked the cork out of the bottle and took a long deep drink from it. The whiskey burned her insides, but she could already feel its extra strong alcohol coursing through her, numbing her senses.

So she drank more of it.

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Gabriel swooped down and landed gracefully down on the roof of Destine Manor. He had been put on extra patrol for the last couple of nights, as Goliath had become obsessed with protecting the city from the Venes. Fortunately, Gabriel had finally managed to get some free time off and was allowed to go visit his angel love.

Gabriel winced a little, as life at the castle had become hard and cold. Arthur and Griff had taken up temporarily residence at the Eyrie with them, but Goliath practically ignored Arthur. He still did not approve of Arthur for not allowing them to use Excalibur to fight the Venes, but Arthur was adamant. He refused to use the sword to attack three children, even if they were as evil as they said they were.

Needless to say, Goliath was not happy.

Goliath was becoming so obsessed at defeating the Venes that he was even ignoring his so-called beloved Elisa. Just over a week ago, those two had been closer than anything and more in love than Romeo and Juliet, but now… Now they were so distant that they barely spent any time together anymore.

Goliath was always out on patrol or arranging them with the rest of the clan. He even had Hudson constantly out patrolling and although Hudson had at first welcomed the chance to do more protecting, even he had his limits and Goliath was pushing him beyond them. He barely had any time to sit down anymore, as Goliath was always telling him to patrol another part of the city where there had been some disturbances.

Everyone had tried talking to him, explaining to him that Hudson was no longer young and could only do so much, but nothing would persuade him. Since the deaths of the people, who had died from the Midgard Serpent that the Venes had summoned, Goliath had been mortified and vowed to save his city from their evil. Nothing was to get in his way, not even a weak old Gargoyle who, even now, was having trouble with getting up from his seat.

It had been two nights now since he had last seen his beloved Lana and right now he had mixed feelings about seeing her again. Part of him couldn't wait to hold her in his arms again, whereas at the same time he also feared what he would find when he saw her. He knew she had been drinking, as he could smell it on her breath, the pain of Thailog's rape was talking its toll on her.

Thailog! Every time that Gabriel heard or thought that name, he felt an overwhelming desire to crush something in his bare claws, preferably Thailog's head. He had ruined Lana, taking a beautiful young girl and robbing her of her innocence, cursing her with his constant presence in her dreams and making it hard for her to cope.

Gabriel couldn't help, but smile bitterly, as fate had a cruel humour. When he had lost hope of a mate on his home on Avalon, he had longed for someone special who could win his heart and he hers. He had thought it impossible, but when he met Lana he thought all his dreams had come true, only for them to be dashed when Thailog came and took her away from him on the same night that they met.

Gabriel knew, with a sinking heart, Lana was not coping well at all. In the past few days, he had watched her condition slowly degenerate, the drink and the dreams all eating away at her like a cancer. Her family seemingly did not notice, as Lana had taken care to ensure that whenever she met with her family, she was in a presentable style.

Gabriel moved to the balcony door of the Destine mansion, but before he even had a chance to knock it, the door opened and Demona was there once more glaring at him. Since about a week ago, Demona had accepted Gabriel and Lana's relationship, but that didn't mean that she was happy with it.

Demona glared at him. "Back for another visit, are we?"

Gabriel didn't respond to her glare and just simply replied, "Yes, I would have come sooner but Goliath has had us all out on extra patrols this week."

Demona muttered something under her breath, but allowed him to enter. "Very well, Lana is in her room… again. If she's sleeping then I expect you to leave promptly, understand?"

Gabriel nodded and walked in the direction of Lana's quarters. As he did so, he walked straight into Darlene's path and she smiled warmly at him.

"Hello Gabriel," she greeted him. "It's nice to see you again. I'm sure Lana will be glad to know you're here."

Gabriel smiled, grateful for the warm hospitality that he at least received from Lana's mother. He often wondered how it was possible that a cold blooded Gargess like Demona could have such warm and caring lovely women like Darlene and Angela for daughters.

'They must get it from their fathers,' Gabriel thought, though at the moment he was having doubts about Goliath's caring nature.

"Thank you Mrs Anderson," he began, but stopped at her raised hand.

"Uh uh," she said. "It's pronounced Dar-lene, remember?"

Gabriel grinned. "Of course, thank you… Darlene. I was just on my way to her room to see her."

"Then don't let me stop you," she said and allowed him to pass her. "Just don't do anything that my mother will have to shoot you for," she called after him.

Gabriel blushed fiercely and hurried on.

Darlene chuckled a little at his expense and then noticed her mother's scowl. "Oh really mother, aren't you ever going to give him a chance?"

Demona growled. "Don't misinterpret me, daughter. I have accepted that Gabriel and Lana are now… an item! But that doesn't mean that I have to like him… ever."

Darlene rolled her eyes, sighing, "As you wish, mother."

Meanwhile, Gabriel hurriedly made his way to Lana's room and thankfully made it without bumping into her little brother, Jarred. Jarred was a nice and cheeky sort of hatchling and Gabriel did like him, but he did proof to be rather a nuisance at times.

He knocked on Lana's door. "Lana?"

There was a low gurgling from the other side of the door and Gabriel felt his heart sink. Part of him wanted to run back and get her family, as he wasn't sure of what to do with this drinking problem of hers. Whereas the other part of him was devoted to her totally and wanted to protect her from being found out and disgraced in front of her family.

He knocked the door again and finally, after a minute of waiting, he heard the door being unlocked and Lana's haggard face looked out on him.

"Hey Gab," she greeted drunkenly. "Long time no see, care to join me for a drink?"

Gabriel moaned, as he took in her appearance. She looked like some old drunken whore, her clothes looked worn and were hanging off her, she looked like she hadn't eaten well in days and her eyes, which were the worst, were red and swollen, looking dazed.

"My angel," he said regretfully. "What are you doing to yourself?"

Lana snorted. "Don't go talking to me bout me," she slurred and moved back into the room, allowing Gabriel to enter. "I'm just getting me a little something to start the day… or should I say night." She laughed hoarsely.

Gabriel blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill from his eyes. "Please Lana, I beg of you. Give up this foul drink and seek help from your mother. I will help you… "

"I don't need any friggin help!" she bellowed and took a drink out of the half empty bottle in her hand. "I am perfectly capable of lookin after meself."

"Sure," Gabriel replied, a little angrily. "Look at yourself now, dancing about like a drunken whore and looking like one with a half empty bottle on your hand, slurring your words out like a snake."

Lana looked at him, here eyes flaring red and filled with rage. How dare he speak to her like that! "You miserable, good for nothing… "Not finishing what she was going to say, she rushed at him, her talons hooked for clawing.

Gabriel easily stepped clear of her and grabbed her with his arms, holding her own to her sides.

She screeched and tried head-butting him to get free, but Gabriel kept his face well clear of her.

"LEMME GO! LEMME GO!" she screamed, as she kicked and thrashed about like a mad woman.

Gabriel looked in pity at her, but kept his arms around her.

Eventually, the rest of the household heard Lana's screams and before long Demona and Darlene opened the door.

"What the devil is…?" Darlene began, but stopped when she saw the state her daughter was in. "Lana?"

Demona was in shock too, but it lasted for only a few seconds and her face then melted into what looked like disappointment. "I feared as such," she said.

Darlene whirled around, staring at her mother. "What do you mean? Did you know about this?"

Demona shook her head. "I didn't know for certain, but I had noticed that some bottles of my private stash of alcoholic beverages were missing. I just assumed that I had miscounted them or something, but I… "Demona closed her eyes briefly. "I'm not blind Darlene and you're not either, so don't pretend you haven't noticed Lana's odd behaviour. I didn't want to believe so I… I chose to ignore it."

Darlene didn't know whether to be angry or sad at her mother's revelation. She should be mad, but deep down she knew that her mother was right. She had noticed Lana's strange behaviour and had taken notice of it, but never really considered the full implications of what it might mean.

"Ohh, Lana," she moaned tearfully.

By now, Lana had stopped thrashing around in Gabriel's grip and had looked at her mother and grandmother, at first, in fear and then slowly, she began to cry.

Darlene just stood there staring at her daughter in bitter disappointment and grief while Gabriel held her closer to him, trying to comfort her. After a minute, she walked slowly to her firstborn and stroked the back of her head that was buried in Gabriel's chest.

"Why Lana?" she asked almost desperately. "Why on earth would you steal from your grandmother and turn to drink? You know how strict your father and I were on alcohol."

At the mention of her father, Lana wept a little more, but looked to her mother, still feeling a tad groggy and stammered. ""I'm… I'm sorry. I just… I couldn't stop thinking about… I just wanted the dreams to stop!"

"Dreams?" Darlene said, puzzled.

Lana looked at her, her tear-filled eyes telling her all she needed to know.

"Oh my poor dear," Darlene eyes too began to fill up, as she took Lana from Gabriel's embrace and into one of her own.

"I can't stop, mom!" Lana cried hysterically into her mother's shoulder. "Every time I close my eyes, I keep seeing him. I see the way his eyes glow when he… "She whimpered.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Darlene almost begged, wanting to know why her daughter hadn't trusted her enough to come to her.

Lana sobbed. "I couldn't. I didn't want anyone to know. I thought I could handle it on my own."

"No one should have to go through anything on their own, Lana!" Darlene said firmly and lovingly.

Lana's whole body shuddered. "I just… I just want to sleep… without having to see his face and his… "She whimpered.

Gabriel looked on helplessly, as Darlene comforted her daughter. He felt out of place there at that moment, but more so he was feeling nervous from the angry glare he was receiving from Demona.

True, he hadn't ever really feared Demona up to now. However, he hadn't been hiding the drunken condition of her granddaughter from her before and right now, the look he was getting from her made him want to run screaming.

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**Eyrie Building: **

"Goliath, please listen to me!" Elisa cried out helplessly. "You're not being reasonable!"

Goliath paced the floor of the private room that Xanatos had given them to use when Elisa wanted to stay in the castle. It had been meant as a room for them to spend quality time together alone, but so far all it had been used for was for Goliath and Elisa to have their constant shouting matches, all about the same thing.

"Reason?" Goliath scoffed. "You talk to me about reason, but what about him? He who holds the one key that might defeat the Veneficus' and he refuses to use it!"

"I'm sure he has his reasons, Goliath," Elisa tried to keep the peace. "I think he just has a thing about using Excalibur to kill children."

"CHILDREN!" he roared. "Those children murdered about 20 innocent humans, cold bloodily without any heart or conscious at all. How can you possibly call those kind of… of vermin, children?"

Elisa sighed. 'We've barely been married a month and already we're facing problems,' she thought bitterly.

"I know what they are, Goliath. You know what they are. We've both had to deal with their massacres, but Arthur hasn't. Try to see it from his point of view and… "Elisa paused for a moment.

"And what?" Goliath asked, giving her a suspicious look.

Elisa sighed and looked into his eyes, here eyes sad. "Goliath, you seem so intent on killing these new enemies. I remember when we were fighting Demona. You kept trying and trying to talk to her, to see if you could save her from herself. It was only until much later when you started leaning towards… "She fidgeted a little.

Goliath stared at her in a way she did not like.

"Are you saying that I am becoming like Demona?" he asked his wife.

Elisa bit her lip and wanted to say no and that he'd never become like she was. However, try as she might, she couldn't say it because the fact was he had been acting almost exactly like her in the past week.

At Elisa's silence, Goliath seemed to stiffen for a few moments before turning around and walking out the room, slamming the door behind him. The door-slam was like a punch to her heart.

"And to think," She said to herself bitterly, "just a week ago, I was the happiest woman alive."

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Goliath strode out his and Elisa's private room, heading straight outside for some much-needed gliding.

He couldn't believe Elisa would think so low of him. He was nothing at all like Demona! Demona was heartless, obsessed with destroying humanity and had cared only to fight and kill. He was…

Suddenly, he stopped and thought about what he had just thought and started to measure himself up to those thoughts. Heartless? No, he had only just committed himself to Elisa and gave her his heart; he was never too busy… It was then that he wondered, just when was the last time that he had held Elisa in his arms?

Goliath felt a cold dread come upon him. It had been almost a week since their battle at the Vene's home and since then he'd been so fuelled up with rage that he hadn't had time to even look at his mate, let alone hold her or even tell her that he loved her.

"Goliath!" Xanatos's voice made Goliath temporarily forget about his marriage problems and turn towards to his more immediate ones.

"What is it, Xanatos?" he responded hotly.

Xanatos merely quirked an eyebrow up at him, but kept his cool demeanour in check. "I was wondering what you were planning to do with our little guest? Only she's been in that cell now for over a week and so far you have yet to get any information from her, which isn't a surprise considering I doubt she can even talk straight yet."

Goliath frowned stubbornly. "I firmly believe she knows where her siblings are, she has to."

"She's only about three," Xanatos said almost exasperated. "I know she comes from a bad family, but even so, one little girl isn't… "

"How do you know Xanatos?" Goliath suddenly snarled angrily. "How do you know if this girl really is a child? For all we know, she might very well be a demon in disguise that the Venes summoned to trick us."

Xanatos sighed. "Perhaps, but if that were true then why didn't she attack you while you were bringing her here to the Eyrie? And why hasn't she tried anything in the whole week that she's been kept prisoner here?"

Goliath frowned. "Maybe she wishes us to let our guard down," he began.

"And maybe you're being stubborn and downright paranoid," Xanatos interjected.

Goliath growled and glared at him viciously, but Xanatos remained as still and hard as a rock, not even flinching.

"Just keep her in her cell," Goliath warned him.

Xanatos resisted the urge to say, 'You think she's secure enough?' because Goliath had had them place the girl in one of their top-level security cells. It was with cameras, electric bars, two feet steel walls followed by a further foot of concrete and automatic gas bombs designed to go off if for any reason the prisoner escaped, or even if the cameras went offline for a mere second. The only thing missing was for her to be in a straight jacket.

Xanatos sighed. "Very well, Goliath. Will you be seeing her now?"

Goliath merely nodded and walked off in the direction of the dungeon, as they called it, leaving Xanatos to wonder about the gargoyle leader's paranoia.

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Goliath strode down the castle hallways until he reached the dungeon where their 'guest' was staying. He slammed the door open and peered in.

The young Vene was sitting in her cell, idly playing with some building block toys that Xanatos or Fox must have given her.

She looked up at him, her face like that of an angel, but her eyes… He couldn't explain it, but the look she gave him, gave him the impression that there was definitely more to her than met the eye. They seemed so old and full of knowledge, like she knew everything about him by gazing into his soul.

Goliath mentally shrugged these feelings away. They maybe true or not, but right now he didn't care, as all he wanted was answers, answers that he was sure she possessed.

"Where are your brothers and sister?" he demanded of her.

The little girl just looked at him curiously before picking up one of the building blocks on the floor and holding it out to him. "Wanna play?" she asked innocently.

Goliath growled. "I have neither the time nor the patience, little one," he moved forward to the bars that separated them. "Now tell me what I want to know! Where is your family?"

The child stared at him. "Sarah," she suddenly said.

"Huh?" Goliath looked at her curiously.

"My name is Sarah, not little one," she pouted.

Goliath sighed, but underneath he was growing evermore tiresome and agitated. "Fine, _Sarah_… "He hissed. "Where is your family right now?"

Sarah didn't say anything and just went back to playing with her blocks.

Goliath roared and almost slammed into the bars, forgetting that they were electrified and nearly frying himself.

"You will tell me, now!" he demanded, but all he got was a cold look from the child.

Goliath finally had enough and inputted the security code to the cell, opening the barred cell and storming right in.

"Tell me, now!" he snarled and grabbed the girl by the shoulders, nearly crushing them in the process.

"GOLIATH!" a voice that he barely heard, called out to him. When he didn't immediately respond, he felt old rough hands grab his arms and forced them to drop the girl.

He turned and found Hudson staring at him with a look that looked to be a mixture of shock, anger and disappointment.

"Lad," Hudson said unbelieving. "What in blazes do ye think yuir doin?"

Goliath wanted to shout, yell and scream his innocence because after all, wasn't what he was doing for the good of all mankind and theirs? The Venes were the greatest menace that ever walked the earth and unless they were stopped, they would forever be a constant threat on this planet.

However, as Goliath looked around, he saw his reflection in the steel wall and what he saw terrified him. It showed him doing what no gargoyle, not even Demona, had ever done… which was hurting a child.

Sarah did nothing however and just looked at him with her big brown eyes, her face slightly wincing from the pain in her shoulders.

Goliath released her with a hurry, staring at her in horror. The sleeves of her T-shirt had been torn from his claws and... was that blood oozing up from her skin? Goliath felt ill.

"Lad," Hudson was looking at Goliath in a way that he hadn't in centuries, a harsh disappointed look, which he had given when he was a hatchling when he had done something terribly wrong.

"Come with me," Hudson said quietly and led the way out of the dungeon with Goliath close at his heels.

Goliath did not notice the cold glare that Sarah threw at his back, as he left the room, his tails and wings drooping low.

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"What in Hell did ye think ye were doin?" Hudson bellowed in rage.

Goliath suppressed the urge to wince and tried to look his former leader in the eye. "I was trying to get information from her about her kin and… I guess I must have… overreacted."

"OVERREACTED?" Hudson snarled unbelieving. "If I hadn't arrived, who knows what you would have done to that little girl?"

Goliath glared a little at his mentor. "That little girl is… "

"Is still a little girl no matter what you say or do, Goliath!" Hudson interrupted him. "Yes, she is a Vene and who knows, maybe she does know something more than she's letting on. But that doesn't excuse what you were doing, lad. You had that small lass by the shoulders and were clutching her so hard that if I hadn't had intervened, she'd probably be armless by now."

Goliath had to use all of his self-control and discipline not to cower in shame before his old mentor.

"I thought ye knew better than that, Goliath," Hudson looked at him sympathetically. "Look at what this vendetta of yuirs is doing to ye. Ye ave barely spent any time with yuir newly wedded mate, yuir treatin the rest of us like dirt, and yuir still no closer to finding the Venes."

Goliath felt his shame burning through his soul, realising the truth of Hudson's words, but still feeling the burning drive for him to find the Venes and stopping them from hurting anybody else.

"The Venes have to be stopped," he said adamantly. "You saw how little they cared for life, how they sent that beast through the streets of Manhattan, killing all those people."

Hudson looked in sympathy at his former pupil. "Lad, I know yuir feeling frustrated and ye want to stop them, but threatening young ones and making demands of yuir own clan isn't going to help. Ye need to stop, Goliath. Otherwise, ye might end up loosing all that you are trying to protect in the first place, starting with Elisa."

With that, Hudson turned around and went back into the dungeon where the young girl still was, leaving Goliath alone to his thoughts.

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**Bedford Hotel; Broadway: **

Cecile paced the floor of the hotel room they were staying in while Thailog merely sat down on the bed and watched her amusedly.

"If you keep on like that, you'll wear a hole in the floor," he casually said to her.

Cecile took no notice however, as she continued her pace, which only made Thailog angry. If there was one thing he hated most besides Goliath and now Cecile, it was being ignored.

"Must you do that?" he said irritated.

Cecile just shrugged. "It helps me to think," she said and finally sat down… right on Thailog's lap.

Thailog moaned a little, as she sat right down on his manhood, wriggling about a bit, making him feel really uncomfortable.

"Tell me, Thailog," Cecile said casually, "what do you think of Pan?"

"Huh?"

"Pan, as in Pan the god of joy," Cecile grinned. "I bet that if I were to let him loose in the city, he'd cause the clan some problems."

Thailog gave her a blank look. "Umm, I suppose so, but… "He didn't know whether he should be encouraging her, but out of all the creatures he had been expecting her to summon up to attack the clan… A half-goat was not one of them.

As if hearing his thoughts, she looked down at him smiling that devil's smile. "Oh, don't misinterpret me, Thailog. I do intend to cause some real proper damage soon enough. However, my dad always taught me that you shouldn't use so much magic in the one place one too many times. My ancestors once made that mistake in Salem and it ended up nearly wiping out the whole family."

'Promises, promises, always promises,' Thailog thought, but kept quiet.

"Although the god of joy hasn't exactly been a god of destruction or anything," Cecile went on, "Pan's power for bringing out the beasts in people has remarkably caused a lot of damage. You'd be amazed at the level of damage that a wild party can cause."

"Sounds swell," Thailog simply said, not really paying any attention.

A knock suddenly sounded at their door. Cecile looked up for a moment, frowned… and then frowned again harder. "Come in," she called out, not bothering to disguise Thailog or anything and stood up.

"Bout time too," Nathan Vene exclaimed and walked into his sister's private quarters, followed by his brother.

"What kept you?" Cecile asked snidely.

Damien glared at her. "How about the fact that you teleported us all the way to Detroit? "he shouted at her. "We had to hitchhike all the way back and then use a locating spell to find you!"

"Ah," Cecile simply said and then, "So, did you find the place okay?"

Both twins looked as though they were about to throttle her. Something that Thailog constantly prayed for.

"Have you found Sarah?" Damien asked his sister, after a moment of trying to calm him down.

Cecile shook her head. "No need, as it's pretty clear where she is. The clan must have taken her either as prisoner, bait or for interrogation. So she must be in the castle."

Damien's nostrils flared. "Then let's go and get her then. Why are you still here?"

Cecile regarded her brother coolly. "Because, my dear idiot sibling, I don't wish to risk going up against the guy with the mystical sword that could obliterate us all, that's why."

Damien hissed at Cecile, whereas Nathan kept quiet and merely looked at her with his thin cold eyes.

"Who was that guy by the way?" Damien asked. "And just how the hell did he break down all of our mystic barriers without breaking a sweat?"

Cecile smiled. "Would you believe…King Arthur, from the Knights of the Round Table?"

Damien looked at her, as if she had grown a second head. "King Arthur?... Are you serious?"

Cecile nodded and Damien blinked.

"Wow!" Nathan breathed out. "That means that sword he had was none other than…"

"Excalibur," Cecile finished for him. "As for the reason why it tore through our magic so easily, as far as we know, the magic that's inside Excalibur has existed for over 1500 years if not longer. We don't know where its power originated from and we don't know what spawned it. For all we know, it might very well be the magic of heaven itself, hence the reason how it did what it did."

Both Damien and Nathan stayed silent for a while before they both breathed out, "Whoa."

Cecile rolled her eyes. "Your rooms are at the other end of the hallway," she said, pointing to the door. "I arranged for them as soon as Thailog and I arrived here, as for the clan and Arthur and Excalibur…Don't worry about them. I've already made plans."

The twins looked as though they wanted to stay and ask more questions, but another hard look from their sister shut them right up and they left without another word.

"Now then," Cecile spoke again, as she turned back to Thailog and resumed her seat on his lap. "Where were we?"

"I believe you were just going on about how you were going to attack the clan," Thailog said quietly and without any true enthusiasm.

Cecile cocked her head at him and regarded him curiously for one second before saying, "Oh yes, I was thinking about using Pan, wasn't I? I still think it's a good idea, but on the other hand, I could just maybe have your face turned back to its old self and have you scare the living night-lights out of everyone?"

Thailog jumped a little at her words, which only fuelled Cecile's amusement and made her laugh her musical laughter.

"You really are spineless aren't you, my little Hercules," she cooed at him, making his blood boil with barely contained rage.

"What about your so called goddess?" Thailog sneered. "Didn't she say she would be able to help?"

If Cecile minded him, then she paid him no mind and just shrugged. "She'll help, make no mistake about that. If it's anything that Kauket likes, it's trouble, no matter what kind." She leaned back into him. "However, I'm saving her and her resources for bigger things. In the meantime, I just wanna show those gargoyles a thing or two… weaken their strength so to speak, until the real battle emerges."

"And when might that be?" Thailog asked coyly.

Cecile smiled. "When we've gotten hold of Excalibur and bled it dry of all its powers, that's when."

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**Somewhere Above Manhattan: **

Darlene swooped and dived through the air, trying to clear her head as all the night's events took its toll on her.

Lana had cried into her shoulder for over an hour, her mother had been giving Gabriel the look of death all night, and to top it all off, Jarred had blown up the living room yet again with another failed spell.

Needless to say it had been a stressful night.

Lana had wept for over an hour, tiring herself out, so Darlene put her to bed to rest for a while. Gabriel had insisted on staying, but Demona made it perfectly clear that he was not welcome in their home.

Darlene had to admit that she was rather mad at Gabriel too for keeping her daughter's problem a secret from then, but she could understand why he did it. She knew first hand how convincing Lana was and that he was merely protecting her.

Thankfully, Darlene managed to get Gabriel to leave with the promise that she would call him the instant should they need him, or more importantly, if Lana needed him.

With Lana resting and her mother seeing to Jarred and Gem, Darlene took it upon herself to catch up with her gliding. She found that the cool air and star-filled sky helped to clear her mind.

"Oh, Paul," she whispered lonesome, "What am I going to do?"

"Darlene?" a voice called out to her. Darlene looked up in surprise and saw the gargoyle Griff approaching her.

'Ohhh no,' she thought. Actually she was in fact happy to see him, as he had been the best thing that had happened to her all week, but… Unfortunately, that was the problem.

"Hello Griff!" she yelled back, as he glided over to where she was.

Griff grinned. "Fancy meeting you here," he said happily. "Out for a glide are you?"

Darlene resisted rolling her eyes and simply said, "Yes."

"Looks like you picked a glorious night for it," Griff turned about in the air. "Nice cool night, not too cold, no attackers, strong wind... and good company."

Darlene blushed, but smiled anyway at him. "Thank you, it's nice to see you too, Griff," she said quietly. She had meant to at least attempt to sound cheerful, but her voice came out sounding like she hadn't slept for a week.

Griff looked at her concerned. "I say old girl, are you feeling alright?"

Darlene took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "To be all honest," she replied, "not really."

Griff immediately took her claw and glided with her down to the nearest rooftop.

"What's happened?" he asked concernedly. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Darlene couldn't help but give a half-smile. "Not unless you've experience of raising teenagers, you can't."

Griff looked at her confused for a moment, but then his face lit up. "Oh, you mean Lana? You're having problems with her?"

Darlene nodded and walked over to the side of the building, looking down at all the passing lights. "I knew that getting over… what happened to her… wasn't going to be easy, but I never imagined this."

"Beg pardon?" Griff looked at her confused and Darlene suddenly realised.

"Oh that's right," she sighed. "You wouldn't know anything about what happened to Lana. Fine, I'll tell you." She sat down on the building's edge and looked at him with tired eyes. "Not so long ago, my daughter was kidnapped by some lovesick and twisted gargoyle named Thailog. Thailog isn't your average gargoyle and before you start asking me why, I suggest you ask Goliath as he's the best person to talk to about Thailog."

Griff cocked his head at her, but nodded and asked her to go on.

Darlene sighed miserably. "Things hadn't been going so well. My husband had died, I couldn't work to get money, and we were about to loose our house and to top it all off, the spell I had cast was starting to wear off…"

"Huh?" Griff exclaimed startled.

Darlene stared at him in surprise, as she thought that someone in the clan would have told him already about her and her past.

"Ohh, I guess then I'd better start completely from the beginning," she cleared her throat. "Well then, my mother Demona and I were the only gargoyles in New York. My father died before I was hatched and I grew up with no friends or anything, but my mother. She was a fine mother, but… When I grew up, I knew I wanted more, but there didn't seem to be any way…"

Griff sat down beside her and waited for her to continue.

"Then one night I met and gradually fell in love with a handsome human called Paul. I knew I was in love with him and wanted to be with him, everything would have been perfect except for one minor thing… "

"Your mother?" Griff guessed.

Darlene nodded "Even as a hatchling, I knew how much she loathed humans and was terrified of what she would do if she ever found out I was even seeing one, let alone wanted to mate with one." Darlene shuddered as she remembered how she frightened she had been. "I didn't know what to do, so I finally decided that the only safe way for me and Paul to be together was if we were to run away together."

"You were planning to elope?" Griff asked with a grin.

Darlene laughed a little. "When you put it like that, it sounds so romantic, but the fact is… Every one of our days and nights were filled with fear."

Griff nodded in understanding, as he had felt the same way every night when he had awoken and heard the sirens and then went to sleep each day, wondering if he and his siblings would ever awake the next night.

He suddenly realised something, '_Days_ and nights?'

"I knew my mother would never rest until she found me," Darlene continued. "So I decided that the only way to be truly free of her was to fake my own death and go into hiding. I went through most of her magic books until I found a spell that could change me into a human."

Griff gasped and remembered Darlene's words to him when they had first met at Destine Mansion, how she had been evasive about her mate and Lana and her age. He was beginning to understand.

"Your children are half human," he asked understanding.

Darlene nodded. "They were born after I was turned into a human," she explained. "I faked my death, mother thought I was gone and never thought to look for me. Paul took me to Los Angeles with him where we were married and had the kids." She paused for a moment, leaning back slightly on the stone edge. "It was a good life," she said sadly. "The best that anyone could hope for, but sadly… My mother always told me that all good things come to an end some day and in my case, she was correct."

Griff looked n sympathy at her and squeezed her hand. Darlene looked up and half-smiled at him. They remained like that for a few moments until Darlene went on with her story.

"Then, Paul was killed in a car accident about a year ago," she blinked back a few of the tears that her eyes were threatening to spill. "Because I hadn't been born a human, I had no identification or a green card or anything, so I couldn't get any work. Without work, I soon ran out of money and the bank threatened to take away my house and even social services were keeping an eye on me."

Darlene snarled a little, as she remembered how outraged she had been at the social services for them even thinking that she was an unfit mother. "Times were tough… and to top it all off, I found out that the spell I had cast to make me human was… wearing off."

'Good news for all of us male gargoyles,' Griff thought and then shied him for thinking such a thing.

"I knew right then that I had to tell my kids the truth about who and what I really was," Darlene moaned. "I remember how terrified I was at facing them, but I knew it was the right thing to do. I didn't think they would believe me though and with all that had happened, I didn't want them thinking their mother had gone mad, so I decided that the only way was if I break the spell completely and they saw me change."

"But let me guess," Griff summarised. "It didn't work out the way you expected it to?"

Darlene smiled. "You could say that, because when I changed, my kids changed with me. They still retained some of their human blood, as you can tell from their five fingers and toes and such. But other than that, they're almost complete full-blooded gargoyles."

Griff winced. "Not the best way for them to find out," he admitted. "And I take it that once the spell was broken, you couldn't recast it?"

Darlene nodded. "Right and I don't think Lana has ever forgiven me for taking away her humanity. Oh, she seems to be enjoying it a bit more now that she's living in a big mansion and having Gabriel as a boyfriend, but deep down, I know she really misses her human life. She was always a very popular girl and she misses her friends and everything."

"What about Jarred and Gem?" Griff asked.

Darlene shrugged. "Gem's only a baby so she'll never know the difference, and as for Jarred..." Darlene smirked. "As soon as he learned that he wouldn't be able to go to school ever again and that he could glide, he fell absolutely in love with being a gargoyle and so far he hasn't regretted my action. He's also nuts about his grandmother and gets on well with her. He wants to be a sorcerer like her someday. "

Griff grinned. "So everything turned out well in the end."

Darlene lost her smile and looked down. "If only," she whispered and Griff knew he had stuck his foot in his mouth again.

"As I said," Darlene went on, "I'm certain Lana has and probably never will forgive me for taking her life away from her. The death of her father, loosing our house and then her humanity was too much for her to take and then when I found a way for us to be human again… "Darlene paused and then sighed. "My mother told me that I wasn't being true to myself, and she was right. I had lived with the delusion that I was a human for too long. I am a gargoyle, plain and simple and nothing else. I decided to remain as such and that my children should too until they were old enough to decide whether or not they wanted to be made human again."

"And Lana wasn't too happy with your decision?" Griff guessed.

"Happy," Darlene smirked again. "She went ballistic. She stormed out of our home and we didn't see her for hours." She went quiet again. "We didn't learn until nights later that she had met someone while she was out. That someone turned out to be an enemy of my mother who used Lana as a way to lure us all into a trap. He's a gargoyle named Thailog. If you want to learn more about him then I suggest asking Goliath, as he's the best guy to answer your questions about _him_."

She spoke of this Thailog character with so much venom in her voice that Griff began to truly seethe resemblance between her and her legendary infamous mother.

"Lana never got over when she was used by Thailog. He… made her feel special." There seemed to be more to it than that, but Darlene didn't appear to want to share that bit of knowledge, so Griff remained silent.

"Then, on the night of Goliath and Elisa's wedding, he tracked her down and… kidnapped her!" Darlene put her hands to her face and rubbed her eyes as though she was in pain. "I remember how crazy we all were with worry. She was missing for hours and when we finally found her, we… "Darlene buried her face completely in her hands. "He'd raped her, my sweet baby… He raped my poor Lana!" Darlene began to weep.

Griff wasted no time and cloaked his wing and arms around her. "I'm sorry," was all he could say at that moment. It seemed so trivial, yet it was all he could do.

Darlene regained some self-control and wiped her eyes. "Thanks, but you know full well it's not your fault. It's Thailogs!" she hissed his name. "He destroyed Lana then. Ever since her rape, she hasn't ever gotten a good day's sleep, as she's been having constant nightmares about him doing things to her. Her only consolation has been Gabriel, who's been with her ever since, but recently… "She broke off again. "We just found out tonight that Lana has been stealing some bottles of alcohol from my mother's private storage and… drinking."

Griff looked shocked at her, as drinking was not exactly heard of among gargoyles. True, some of the elders had been known to have a swing every now and then, but never the youths. Gargoyles tended to be wilder and do more damage than humans do when they were intoxicated.

Darlene sighed. "I just left Lana with my mother. She's asleep now and Gabriel is willing to do anything to help her and I think right now that's what she needs most of all, to be surrounded by people who care about her."

Griff nodded. "It always helps to know that there are those who care about you."

Darlene agreed and then smiled. "Sooo… World War 2, eh?"

Griff looked surprised at her and Darlene laughed.

"Angela and I talked, she told me about you and Goliath bringing you forward in time and everything," she looked at him in interest. "I must say you yourself look remarkably well preserved for a gargoyle in his… what, his early hundreds?"

Griff laughed. "I guess we really are destiny's couple, what with you with three kids and me in my hundreds, and yet we don't look a night over fifty!"

Darlene laughed. "Maybe, but Hudson's beaten us both. He's over 1100 years old, been through countless battles, a scarred eye, not to mention he spends most of his nights in front of the telly… Yet he looks no more than a hundred and twenty!"

The two of them laughed and for once, Darlene felt content in the presence of someone.

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**Bedford Hotel; Broadway: **

"Novo –are Adroanzi," Cecile prayed in front of the bathtub, which she had filled.

Thailog sighed. He wondered what creature his 'mistress' was going to summon next?

"Why is it so important for you to have that confounded sword?" he asked out-loud.

Cecile turned to him. "Because it is one of the few magic's that my family knows nothing of, and any type of magic that we do not know, we either merge with our own, or destroy." She went back to her praying and then reached into a small duffel bag around her waist.

'Here we go again,' Thailog thought miserably.

Cecile pulled out something from the bag. Thailog strained his eyes to see and saw to his disgust that it was the head of a snake. The snake's mouth was set hard, with its mouth open and baring its fangs.

Cecile whispered some further words and then tossed the head into the water. "In the name of Adro, god of snakes, the darkness of Adroa… Awaken!"

Thailog watched. Despite hating this human witch and her family, not to mention, dare he say, afraid of her… he was nevertheless fascinated by the wonders of sorcery.

Almost immediately, a bubbling sound reached his sensitive ears and he leaned in to observe the water, where a dark shape swerved beneath the water's surface.

"An Adroanzi," Cecile said smugly and watched, as the dark shape came to the surface and lifted itself out of the water.

Thailog blanched at the sight, for it was the most hideous and frightening snake he had ever seen. It was pure black, eyes like dark opals, spikes running down its scaly hide and long twisted sharp fangs prodding out of its mouth.

"Handy little things for pest control," Cecile smiled. "They're good at concealing themselves and lie in wait for sometimes years at a time, waiting to attack the innocent."

"Perfect for Goliath and his clan," Thailog said through his teeth.

"Indeed," Cecile confirmed and then pulled the plug to the bath. "Now swim along, my little demon snake! Go and find some yummy gargoyles to feast upon!"

The snake thing hissed and shot through the water and down the drain, faster than a lightning bolt.

"Just one question," Thailog frowned. "Don't you think one snake, even if it is as powerful as you say it is, will be enough for the whole clan?"

Cecile grinned. "One of them, no, but the other handy thing about these critters is… they're really fast breeders."

Thailog frowned again and then the colour drained from his face. "Wait! You told the snake to attack any gargoyle!"

Cecile shrugged. "Yeah, so?"

Thailog instinctually grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "You didn't tell it to just go after Goliath's clan! If it just goes on the prowl, looking for any gargoyle, then it might harm… "

"Lana?" Cecile with a sly smile and carefully pricked his talons off her. "A tragic loss, I'm sure, but no war comes without its losses." She turned around to make her way to the bedroom.

Thailog's eyes burned. "If you… _dare_ hurt her, I'll… "

Cecile whirled around, her own eyes now burning, a dark red, even redder than Thailog's or Demona's.

"Don't even think about threatening me, clone!" she warned. "Never forget who owns your soul now, and who could eradicate your very existence in one blink."

Thailog shrunk back ashamedly, his eyes never leaving her eyes, the eyes of a demon. Not even Demona had frightened him so with her dreaded gaze.

"Now!" Cecile exclaimed cheerfully and almost floated over to the bedroom, where she slid onto the satin sheets and lay sprawled across the bed. "I'm tired and I want to sleep, goodnight." She clicked her fingers and the door, which separated their rooms, slammed shut, right into Thailog's face.

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**Destine Manor: **

"I fail to see the point of this stupid game," Demona said. "I'm already the CEO of a multi-national corporation and rich beyond any pitiful mortal's dreams. Why would I want to go to university?"

"Because it's in the game, Gran," Jarred begged. "Everyone loves the game of life."

Demona grumbled and moved her stupid plastic car with the pink pin in it, another four spaces.

"I fail to see how this game is supposed to be related to real life," she muttered.

"Oh, come on, Gran," Jarred laughed. "Its fun once you get the hang of it. Trust me."

Demona sighed and looked over to check on Gem, who was in her playpen, playing with her dolls and winged teddy bears. Lana was still sleeping in her room.

"Where's Darlene?" she frowned, as it wasn't like her daughter to be gone for so long. Granted that the last time she did so, she was away for over 20 years, but that was beside the point.

Finally, Demona heard the swooping of a gargoyle gliding down to their balcony and Demona sighed in relief, but then she stopped. Did she just hear two swoops?

"Mom's back!" Jarred cried and ran over to the balcony to greet her.

Demona was about to cry out for her grandson to stand back, as she wasn't sure she was alone or who it really was. But her fears soon evaporated when she saw the curtain pull back and her daughter emerged, with a smile on her face.

"Hello, mother," Darlene smiled and walked in, accepting a hug from her son and returning it.

Demona smiled, but stopped when she noticed that her suspicions had been correct in assuming that her daughter wasn't alone.

Griff came in behind Darlene and smiled politely at her. "Evenin' ma'am." he greeted.

Demona cocked an eye-ridge at her second born, but Darlene was busy attending to Gem, who had immediately started crying, wanting her mother.

Griff smiled, as he walked up to the mother and baby. "Now what's all this then?" he cooed at the little infant. "Big girls don't cry, do they?"

Gem stopped crying and looked curiously at Griff, before reaching out her podgy little claws and stroked the English gargoyle's beak.

"I think she remembers you," Darlene laughed and cuddled Gem one more time before placing her back down in her playpen.

"She's a sweet thing," he observed.

"Hey Griff!" Jarred said cheerfully. "Are you staying?"

Darlene shrugged. "You're welcome to stay for a cup of tea if you like?"

Griff grinned. "I'd love to."

"Great!" Jarred exclaimed. "Could you tell me some more stories of when you were fighting the Nazis?"

Griff laughed. "If you insist. Let's take a seat and I'll tell you about the time when I landed straight on a Nazi plane, just as it was about to open fire on an unsuspecting fellow fighter."

Griff took a seat on the couch and Jarred climbed onto his knee, wanting to hear more of the exciting adventures of World War 2.

Demona grimaced a little. 'If only he knew,' she thought, as she all too well remembered both of the world wars. This Griff had fought Nazis and understood the danger they represented, but he obviously hadn't seen the full horror of the wars.

Demona had never got involved with either war, like she had done throughout most of her immortality. She had preferred to stay out of human matters, though there had been some rare cases when she had been forced to get involved.

She had been in France, where she had been living for the past forty years, at the time when it first started and had got trapped inside the country with no way of escape. As a result, she got to see many of the atrocities that even today, people still had nightmares about. She saw the Jews rounded and sent to concentration camps where they were experimented on like lab-rats, most of them eventually winding up dead.

She had had no care for any of the humans, but even back then she had cringed at the sight of defenceless children, as they were ripped away from their parents and forced to watch their families executed right before their eyes.

Demona hoped that Griff would be sure to tell Jarred the truth of the war, not just some of the fancy fighting stories.

In the meantime though, she had other things to worry about, like Lana.

"Darlene," Demona approached her daughter, as she came in with a tray full of teacups.

"Mmm," Darlene said, as she placed the tray down on the coffee table. "How's Lana?"

Demona sighed. "Still sleeping," she said. "She must have worn herself out from crying so much."

Darlene nodded. "Have you gotten rid of all the alcohol in the house?"

Demona nodded.

"Then I guess the only thing we can do is wait until she awakens and then try to deal with her problems," Darlene sighed. "At least she won't be able to get anymore alcohol. The great thing about being a gargoyle now, is that I don't have to worry about any of my kids going off to the local store to buy any cigarettes or stuff."

Demona smirked a little at that. Being a gargoyle, she had never had to worry about any of the hatchlings to go against their elder's wishes and steal things. True, some of her generation had once taken a sip from a barrel of ale, but that had only been a small sip and none of them had ever done it again. Gargoyles weren't commonly thieves, except for when…

Demona shuddered a little at the memories back when Demona and her clan at Moray had been hunted and persecuted by the Hunter, having to steal and forage from the humans.

Demona bit back the memories, refusing to let them consume her and even more so to stop her from believing that she was in anyway responsible for it.

_Who… created the Hunter? _

Demona didn't know why, but the sound of those words sent chills through her. They also felt strangely familiar to her for some reason.

"I guess," she said.

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**Eyrie Building: **

Miles away, in a cell inside the Eyrie Building, little Sarah Vene sat staring at the wall of her cell, smiling.

She had in front of her a set of paints and some paper, which Xanatos must have also given her. Owen refused to go anywhere near the girl, considering what her family was famous for and what they had done to a relative of his.

She painted idly away, her eyes not on the paper, but staring into nothingness.

After a while, she finally stopped painting and looked at what she had made.

It was a crude child's painted picture, where anyone would have to look at least twice to find out what it even resembled, let alone what it was.

The picture however showed the outline of a female Gargoyle that was all pale blue with a mob of yellow hair. Beside the character was a picture of a large dark gargoyle with red eyes and white hair. Between the two of them was a brown blob that had been splashed a little with red, like blood, a rock perhaps.

The female character seemed as though she engaging the other one in some kind of battle, or at least trying to.

Sarah stared at the picture, her eyes not blinking and whispered, "Only when you face your fears, can you find peace." Her eyes suddenly went dark. "A war is emerging, one where none shall find victory. The shining spear shall come down to earth. Those who praise it will find peace, and those who attempt to take it will be burned to ashes.

Sarah's eyes went blank for a second and then she went back to painting some simple childish drawings of a tree, an animal…and a sword.

**NOT… The End. **


	2. Consequences: PART 13

_**All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Storyseeker.**_

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**Previously on Gargoyles: - **

Elisa sighed and looked into his eyes, her eyes sad. "Goliath, you seem so intent on killing these new enemies. I remember when we were fighting Demona. You kept trying and trying to talk to her, to see if you could save her from herself. It was only until much later when you started leaning towards… "She fidgeted a little.

Goliath stared at her in a way she did not like.

"Are you saying that I am becoming like Demona?" he asked his wife.

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You will tell me, now!" he demanded, but all he got was a cold look from the child.

Goliath finally had enough and inputted the security code to the cell, opening the barred cell and storming right in.

"Tell me, now!" he snarled and grabbed the girl by the shoulders, nearly crushing them in the process.

"GOLIATH!" a voice that he barely heard called out to him. When he didn't immediately respond, he felt old rough hands grab his arms and forced them to drop the girl.

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"In the name of Adro, god of snakes, the darkness of Adroa… Awaken!"

Almost immediately, a bubbling sound reached his sensitive ears and he leaned in to observe the water, where a dark shape swerved beneath the water's surface.

"An Adroanzi," Cecile said smugly and watched, as the dark shape came to the surface and lifted itself out of the water.

Thailog blanched at the sight, for it was the most hideous and frightening snake he had ever seen. It was pure black, eyes like dark opals, spikes running down its scaly hide and long twisted sharp fangs prodding out of its mouth.

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Griff smiled, as he walked up to the mother and baby. "Now what's all this then?" he cooed at the little infant. "Big girls don't cry, do they?"

Gem stopped crying and looked curiously at Griff, before reaching out her podgy little claws and stroked the English gargoyle's beak.

"I think she remembers you," Darlene laughed and cuddled Gem one more time before placing her back down in her playpen.

"She's a sweet thing," he observed.

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**And now, the continuation: -**

**The Labyrinth: **

"Can't catch me! Can't catch me!" a chirpy voice sounded through the Labyrinth tunnels, as Maggie made her way through them.

Maggie frowned, but with a wave of humour. She sometimes wondered if it had been a good idea to start a nursery in the Labyrinth. Playing with the children was fun, but it was trying to keep up with them that were the problem.

Suddenly, there was a scream, but... That had been no scream of pleasure.

"Toby!" she called.

Toby's scream of terror echoed back, enforcing Maggie's agile legs to speed down the tunnels to its source. Toby was one of the homeless children, living in the Labyrinth with them. His parents were both up topside, looking for work, so they had left him with her to take care of until they returned.

Maggie searched desperately through every corner of each tunnel she passed, vainly to find the child, until at last she succeeded, although part of her wished that she hadn't.

Toby Wallis, a 6 year old boy with dirty brown hair and blue eyes, stood scared stiff, as a long black snake with dozens of sharp spikes prodding up from its skin, slithered across the concrete ground towards him.

"Maggie," Toby whimpered helplessly, "Help."

Maggie stood frozen for a second, but quickly overcame her shock. "Toby, stay where you are," she ordered. "Don't move until I tell you to."

She quickly looked around and upon seeing an old broken pipe; she grabbed it and poked it towards the snake, hoping to scare it off.

The snake hissed and suddenly sprang up at her, grabbing the end of the pipe with its fangs and snapped it off in a single crunch.

Maggie blanched at the sight of it chewing up the bits of pipe in its mouth, hissing and spitting. Whatever this creature was, one thing was for certain... Nature had never created it.

Feeling panicky for a second, she shot an electric blast at it, hoping to fry the creature. Unfortunately, she soon learned one thing and that was the snake was anything but slow.

The snake slid faster than lightning, its spikes acting like several pairs of legs, carrying it away from her firing range and into one of the many dark holes in the sewers.

Maggie cursed, but grabbed Toby's hand and practically dragged him, as they rushed back to the Labyrinth.

"Talon!" she cried out, calling for her mate.

Talon, upon hearing the cries of his wife, came out of the Labyrinth and noticed them running straight to the entrance, their faces a mixture of terror and shock.

"Maggie, what's wrong?" Talon asked urgently.

Maggie gasped for breath, clutching Toby's hand. "There was... something in the sewers. I don't know what it was exactly, but it looked like a snake. It was black and had some kind of spikes all down its back! And its fangs, I've never seen fangs as big as it had. It literally took a pipe between them and crunched it into little pieces."

Talon frowned. "Where did you see it?"

Maggie pointed down the way she had come from, while trying to calm Toby.

Talon gently touched Maggie's shoulder and half-guided, half-rushed her back into the Labyrinth, fearful for her safety. "I'll go check it out," he promised.

Maggie looked hysterical. "Talon, no! I don't know what that thing was, but whatever it was, it was fast and dangerous!"

"I won't go alone," Talon assured her. "I'll get Claw to come with me and we'll see what we can do about subduing it."

Maggie however did not look convinced.

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From somewhere lower in the sewers, the snake in question moved silently and quickly through the pipes, its fangs gnashing and fork-like tongue hissing.

It had no hearing, but it could sense all things around it. Like right now, it could sense the presence of multiple creatures roaming around in this underground city. Most of them were simple vermin rats, but it could also sense humanoid creatures.

'Humans,' its brain registered quickly, recognising the scent and aura of the ape-like creature. However, there were four beings that it could not identify.

If the Adroanzi had been capable of such a thing, it would be frowning in confusion. For the things it was dictating had the aura of humans, but it could sense that these beings resembled Gargoyles if nothing else.

Its curiosity peeked; the Adroanzi slithered and swam through the now water-filled pipes, heading towards its goal.

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**Eyrie Building; Same Time: **

Elisa paced the floor of her second bedroom, and former bride suite, waiting for her supposedly beloved husband. He had gone to 'interrogate' their prisoner, the little girl in the castle cell.

Elisa shuddered, wondering what Goliath was doing. She knew that there could be more to that child that meets the eye, but even so... She was still only a child, barely a baby.

The door suddenly opened, making Elisa twirl in surprise and relief when she saw that it was Goliath.

"Goliath," she began uncertainly. "Are you alright?"

Goliath's face looked ashen, as though he was very tired. He blinked a couple of times and then straightened up, his face taking on a broad expression.

"I'm fine," he said confidently. "I'm just a little tired, that's all."

Elisa eyed him strangely, but didn't pursue the matter. "Have you managed to get anything out of our little guest?" she asked him.

Goliath shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately no, she must be very well trained to resist questioning."

Elisa resisted the urge to snort and say, "Yeah, sure."

"Goliath," she began. "I know about this girl's family's history and that alone has given us more than enough reason to doubt her, but... She could still just be an ordinary girl for all we know."

Goliath exhaled. "Not you too," he said in almost frustration. "What is it with this clan?" He paced the room, looking like a caged animal. "How many times do we have to go through this? Do you remember what this girl's family is?"

Elisa gritted her teeth. "Goliath," she began warningly. "Don't start that again! We all know who and what the Venes are. We all know what Cecile and her brothers can do and heaven knows what the rest of their family can do, but... Before you attacked their home, how many times did any of us meet the girl that we now have locked up in our dungeon?"

Goliath growled.

"But this isn't really about the Venes, is it?" Elisa suddenly said, looking him square in the eye.

"What do you mean?"

Elisa sighed. "You've become obsessed with getting the Venes, not just because of the danger that they represent, but... But because they hurt this city, a city that you and your clan swore to protect, and failed."

Goliath looked as though she had struck him on the face. "How can you say that?" he retorted.

Elisa looked at him sadly. "Because it's true, isn't it? You've dedicated all your lives to protecting the people in this city, and in one night, 20 people were lost."

Goliath snarled. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Hey!" Elisa said indignantly. "There's no need to get all grouchy, Goliath. But either way, you can't expect a toddler to be... "

"You don't have to animate yourself as a parrot, my Elisa," Goliath shot back. "I've heard you and Hudson all the first times. This girl may be a child, but she's the only lead we have on her family so far. I won't rest until we have something off of her!"

Elisa's eyes glared at him. "So what are you going to do? Torture her until she confesses, like in the Spanish Inquisition!"

Goliath bit his lip, not wanting her to find out about his earlier interrogation with the young Vene.

"I'll do what I have to," he simply said.

Elisa stared at him for a while, her face unreadable, until finally she just shot her arms up in the air, giving a heavy sigh and left the room quickly, leaving Goliath starring at her retreating footsteps.

Goliath watched her leave, but did nothing, knowing better to leave her be until she had a chance to calm down.

'Why can't they understand?' he thought to himself. 'I'm only doing what's best for them... and the rest of the city. These Venes killed 20 people without remorse and would do worse if they were not stopped. They have to be stopped. They must be stopped.'

Goliath kept repeating these words over and over in his head, whether it was because he thoroughly believed in them, or if he was trying to believe in them himself, was anyone's guess.

0000000000

Elisa passed by several of the clan, as she made her way to the elevator to leave the Eyrie, they all said hello to her, but she did not respond. She was too stressed with Goliath to talk with anyone at the moment.

She swore quietly to herself a few times, as the elevator descended down to the parking lot in the building.

"Damn him," she whispered. She loved Goliath with all her heart and soul, but sometimes he could be real thickheaded.

The elevator halted and the doors opened, revealing the car parking lot and Elisa's car.

Elisa walked toward her car, still fuming over her husband's rash actions that she didn't hear the low hissing noise.

Elisa stopped before her car and proceeded to fetch her keys out of her pocket. Once she stopped walking, she heard a distinct hiss close by her.

She turned around unexpectedly, expecting the sound to be that of a burst windpipe or something, but what she saw made her stop and stare.

From one of the drains at the far wall, a long black snake with terribly long spikes running all along its back and even longer and sharper fangs procuring from its mouth, gazed at her. It hissed and spat, as its body moved forward.

Elisa blinked at the unusual serpent. She had never heard of one with spikes before?

'20 bucks say that this thing isn't natural,' she thought.

The snake suddenly arched its back and hissed one final time before it started moving towards Elisa at an incredible speed, going faster than a cheetah.

Elisa gasped and hurried to fish her keys out and into the lock.

The snake easily reached her in almost no time at all, so Elisa sprang up onto the bonnet of her car, away from the creature's fangs. Thankfully, the snake couldn't jump, but it could still slither.

The snake went over to the wheel of the car and slid up it and making its way onto the bonnet, where Elisa was.

Elisa panicked for a second, but succeeded in fishing out her keys, just as the snake's head poked up at her from the car's side.

Before it could lash out at her, she jumped off of the other side, opened the door and slammed it shut behind her. The snake hissed and spat at her through the window, its black opal eyes staring right into her.

Elisa breathed heavily, as the creature's head seemed to float around the windscreen, its eyes never leaving her.

Suddenly, the snake began beating its head against the window repeatedly. Elisa does not seem concerned at first, until that is when the window started to crack and the snake's hisses grew louder.

The glass split and the cracks grew with each head-butt. Elisa began to panic slightly again. What kind of a snake was this thing?

Elisa placed her key into the lock to start the engine. She thanked God that the engine was working when she heard its loud purr and threw it into ignition.

The serpent hissed one more time before Elisa swerved the car around, throwing the snake off her hood and into the road. Elisa sighed with relief and began to reach for her mobile phone. If the clan ever needed to be told about something then this was definitely one of those times.

She reached into her glove compartment... and screamed.

Elisa snatched her hand back, now bleeding fiercely, and lost control of the car. The car swerved around until it hit a lamppost. Elisa's head smashed into her driving wheel, breaking her nose and knocking her unconscious.

From out of her glove compartment, another dark snake, shorter than the other but with just as long fangs and spikes, slithered out of the compartment and onto the passenger's seat. It hissed at Elisa, but seemed uninterested in her since she was unconscious and slowly departed from the car and the scene.

0000000000

**Eyrie; Same Time: **

Goliath was brooding silently in his room, thinking about the things that Elisa and everyone else had said.

Goliath sighed, as he knew deep down that Elisa was right about him wanting vengeance on the Venes. His clan had always protected this city and had come to the rescue of any innocent in danger. But in one night, while they had been fighting for their lives, 20 innocents had lost theirs, all because of 4 seemingly children.

Goliath bared his fangs in anger. The very name of the Venes sent waves of rage through his veins, making him want to punch something. He only wished that Elisa hadn't left.

He sighed again, knowing that he had lost his temper with her and she would be angry with him for a while. It was best that he left her alone for now, wait until she calmed down so that he could go and try talking to her.

In the meantime though, there was still the little Vene to see to.

Goliath took a deep breath and made his way back to the dungeon to try speaking to the seemingly little girl again.

0000000000

**Destine Manor: **

"So what did you do?" Jarred asked excitedly.

Griff grinned, as he described in full detail of how he once took down a Nazi bomber and deposited the pilot right in the town centre by hanging him upside down from a lamppost in his underwear.

Demona had to smile at his tale. It seemed to be a very popular joke among her kind lately, as nearly every gargoyle she had ever met who had fought and subdued a criminal had ended up tying them up in that 'unique' position. Her late mate, Darlene's father, had even done it once.

Darlene came in, carrying Gem as she suckled on her bottle, and listened with interested to Griff's story.

"Interesting way of taking a plane down," she observed. "I dread to think what you would have done if you had met Hitler."

Griff smirked. "Let's just say that he'd have been missing a lot more than just his pants, if I had," he said.

Demona rolled her eyes. "How's Lana?" she asked Darlene.

"She's awake now," Darlene replied, as she gave Gem to Griff who tickled and cuddled her youngest one. "I think she's still being terrified by the dreams, but... she seems to be improving. I don't suppose you know any spells that could help with this, do you?"

Demona chewed on her lower lip. "I believe there maybe a spell somewhere that helps cleanse dreams." she said. "That would help her to sleep, but it won't help her to deal with her real problems, like Thailog."

Darlene sighed. "Anything you can do, would be much appreciated, mother."

Demona nodded. "Very well," she stood up. "I'll get straight to work on the spell. It should be ready to administer before sunrise. We still have a couple of hours to go before then."

Griff looked up surprised. "A couple of hours to sunrise?" he exclaimed and looked out the window, seeing the slight brightening of the early morning sky. "My word, doesn't time fly when you're having fun."

Darlene laughed, while Jarred pouted.

"Aww," Jarred whined. "You don't have to go yet, do you? I mean, you could always spend the day here if you want?"

Griff looked a little uncomfortable. "Well, I wouldn't want to put any of you out."

"Nonsense," Darlene admonished him. "After all you've done for us in fighting those dreadful Venes and helping to take care of Gem and Jarred, it would be the least we could do. I insist on you staying the day with us."

Griff blushed. "Well... Yes, if you don't mind then... that would be terrific."

Darlene smiled. "Well, we've still got two hours to go, so who's up for another mug of tea?"

0000000000

**Eyrie Building**: 

"Where are your brothers and sister?" Goliath hissed again.

Sarah Vene said nothing and just sat in the centre of her cell, drawing something. Her cell walls were covered with crude drawings that she had drawn. Goliath noticed briefly that one of them looked a little like Arthur with Excalibur, but he was too focused on speaking with her to pay any attention to them.

Since the last time he had spoken with her, Goliath was making a supreme effort not to loose his temper, as before. In fact, he was starting to accept that maybe the others were right about their prisoner. She could be in fact just a simple girl who happened to be born into a magical family.

But, Goliath frowned deeply. He didn't know what, but there was something about her that just didn't seem right, something almost mystical.

Goliath sighed and left the room, but not without looking one final time at the crude drawings on the wall.

'Maybe I have been too hard on the Vene?' he thought to himself, though he didn't quite believe it. If the Vene child was indeed more than she appeared to be, then she was putting on a remarkable act.

'But if not, then how do I coax it out of her?' he thought frowning.

"Goliath!" Brooklyn's frantic voice pulled him out of his reverie.

"Yes, Brooklyn?" Goliath said, not really paying any attention, as he was still concerning himself over the young Vene.

"Goliath," Brooklyn not only sounded, but looked frantic also. "You've got to hurry! It's Elisa!"

Goliath then did fully awaken. "What?"

Brooklyn breathed deeply. "We had a call from Matt. There was... some kind of accident with Elisa and her car. Apparently she lost control and there was a crash and... She's at Manhattan General."

Goliath wasted no time and raced past Brooklyn. On the way he heard Brooklyn mutter, "Why was she even going out? She didn't have duty on tonight, so she didn't have an excuse to leave the castle."

Goliath felt a cold dread come into him, but shook it off, more concerned with getting to the hospital.

0000000000

**Manhattan General Hospital; **

**Half An Hour Later:**

Doctor Goldblum administered a small sedative to calm the detective. She had been waking up occasionally with hysterics, screaming about a black snake that was after her.

Goldblum frowned, as he looked at her young pretty face. He remembered this woman from a few years ago when she had come in with a bullet wound. He knew she was a detective, so it wasn't exactly a surprise that she would often get wounded, but... These wounds were bizarre.

A lot of the injuries were caused by the car accident, but there was an unusual bite mark on her hand. At first he thought that maybe there had been some kind of rat that had managed to get into her car and bite her, but the bite-marks were far too large to be a rodent.

In fact, the lady was largely lucky that she still even had her hand, as the bite from whatever it was had nearly taken her whole hand off. There was still a slight chance that she may loose one of her fingers, but so far her hand had been stitched together and should heal quite nicely in time and hope.

He had contacted the immediate family, but had been told that her parents were out of town on vacation, so he had contacted her workplace instead. He had spoken with someone called Matt Bluestone, her partner, who assured him that he would get in contact with her family as soon as possible.

Goldblum finished Miss Maza's chart, placing it back in the holder and left, never noticing the pair of concerned eyes that were spying on the room through the window.

Once the doctor was gone, Goliath silently opened the window and crept inside into the hospital room. He remembered the first time he had seen Elisa in hospital, when Broadway had shot her. He remembered the utmost pain he had felt upon seeing her near death. He had felt weak and helpless, unable to do anything to help her, and it had angered him. He thought... hoped that he would never have to go through that feeling again, but fate it seemed had other plans.

Goliath cautiously approached his mate's bedside and whispered into her ear. "Elisa?"

Elisa stirred slightly, but did not open her eyes.

"They must have given her some morphine," Goliath deduced. That and the loss of blood would have been more than enough to knock her out.

Goliath took her delicate small hand in his own giant paw and stroked it. Elisa seemed so helpless now, more than he had ever seen her, and it frightened him.

"Elisa, my love," Goliath spoke soothingly. "I wish you were awake to tell me what happened, but do not fear. The clan and I will always be here to watch over you, now and forever. When you are awake and ready to come home, we will be waiting, as will I."

Goliath knew he couldn't stay there for long, what with the hospital staff making their rounds. He was about to leave when he noticed Elisa's other hand, completely bandaged like a mummy. The rest of her body was also bandaged, but only in some parts, unlike her hand.

Curious, Goliath took Elisa's other hand and carefully unwrapped the bandages from it, taking care not to disturb the wound. What he saw made him gasp, as her hand was terribly scarred and mutilated. It looked as though it had been through a shredder.

Goliath stared at it for a while, wondering what kind of a creature could make such a wound. He could see that the injuries were bite-marks, but there were so many of them that the creature, if it had only been one, must have had dozens of sharp fangs.

Goliath slowly rewound the bandage around Elisa's hand and started to make his way back to the castle.

0000000000

**Eyrie Building: **

"So you think something attacked Elisa to make her loose control of her car?" Broadway asked in concern after Goliath explained the situation.

Goliath nodded. "It makes sense, as I've never known Elisa to ever loose control of her car, especially considering the amount of driving and car chases she does during the night."

Hudson scratched his baldhead. "So what do ye think attacked her then, like maybe a rat perhaps?"

Goliath shook his head. "No," he answered. "The bite wounds on her hand were far too severe to be that of any rodent. Whatever this beast was, it had fangs and more importantly, a lot of them."

"Fangs?" Lexington confirmed. "It couldn't have been a snake, do you think?"

Goliath frowned for a second. "The bite-marks certainly were certainly deep enough to have been done by a snake," he mused. "But I've never heard of any snake having so many fangs before."

"So?" Broadway interjected. "It might be some kind of new breed, or maybe one of Sevarius's latest creations, or... "

"Or..." Goliath concluded, "... the Venes!"

Everyone held their breath, as Goliath's eyes flared white at the mention of their enemies.

"Wait, lad!" Hudson held out his claw on Goliath's shoulder. "I know how ye feel, but ye can't go blaming those devils children until we have proof."

"Yeah," Lexington said. "For all we know, it could be Sevarius. He might have engineered whatever it was that attacked Elisa?"

Goliath pondered that for a second. "If it was Sevarius, then why?" he asked them.

At their inquisitive looks, he continued. "Sevarius has never been the kind of man to go after vengeance, unless there was a profit involved, if someone hired him to do so."

"Yeah, so?" Brooklyn asked confused.

"There are only a few people who would have the money, or have a vendetta against us, to hire Sevarius to do such a thing. Xanatos has told me that genetic engineering is not cheap." Goliath looked at them.

"The only few people we know are Xanatos, Reynard, Demona and Castaway. Xanatos would not betray us now, Reynard is too honourable, Castaway has neither the money nor the dignity to do anything, and Demona... Although I do find myself doubting her sincerity at times, I doubt she would risk losing everything she has now to bother attacking us. If she were to do so then she would risk ruining the relationship she has made with Angela, not to mention Darlene and her grandchildren."

Brooklyn scowled a little. He was more than happy to believe that Demona could be responsible, but even he had to admit that Goliath's logic was true.

"So that leaves only two other suspects," Goliath's face darkened, "The Venes and Thailog, both of whom are now in-league with one another."

The clan heaved a long sigh.

"Very well," Hudson said gravely. "But if so, then what are we to do?"

Goliath slammed his fist into his claw, frustrated beyond imagination. "We should attack and have Arthur and Excalibur with us! They are our only defence against the Vene's magic!"

"But Arthur has already made his feelings clear about that matter, Goliath!" Broadway said fearfully, afraid of what his leader was planning.

"I will speak with him again" Goliath said adamantly, "and this time, he will listen!"

"Goliath!" Xanatos's voice called to him.

Goliath turned to the sound of the billionaire's voice. "What is it, Xanatos?"

Xanatos looked worried. "We've just had a call from the Labyrinth from Maggie," he replied. "She sounds most worried and afraid. I thought you ought to know."

Goliath waved his claw at him. "Xanatos," he answered, "tell Maggie that I'm sorry, but we're far too busy to... "

"She says that Talon and Claw are missing!" Xanatos interrupted.

Goliath paused and for one frightening moment, Angela actually thought that he might still dismiss Xanatos's news. Fortunately though, she was soon relieved.

"Missing," Goliath asked. "How? And when?"

Xanatos shrugged. "It seems that the labyrinth has had some kind of an infestation problem," he reported.

"An infestation?" Lexington said, "Not the rats again?"

Xanatos shook his head. "No, apparently what Maggie had to describe seemed to be some sort of snake, blank in colour with multiple horns or spikes along its hide and an enormous row of... "

"Teeth?" Goliath suddenly said, now intrigued.

"Fangs, actually," Xanatos corrected. "I'm assuming that this creature, whatever it is, must be the one that attacked Miss Maza."

Goliath growled hatefully, his claws eager for the hunt.

"Wait a moment," Lexington blinked, "When did this snake creature attack the Labyrinth?"

"About an hour ago."

Lexington frowned. "That would be about the same time that Elisa was attacked then," a distressing look of fear overcame him. "Goliath, what if there's more than one of them? For all we know, there could be a whole swarm of them slithering about the city!"

Goliath's eyes thinned in concentration. "Brooklyn," he commanded, "You, me and Lexington will go to the Labyrinth and help all we can there. Hudson, you will go to the hospital and keep watch over Elisa. The Venes might take the opportunity to attack her again, or worse. Broadway, you, Bronx and Angela will remain here and check the castle for any signs of these creatures. Bronx should be able to track them if they are indeed here."

The clan nodded in agreement.

"Be careful," Goliath warned them. "These things might simply be snakes, but Elisa is a resourceful and clever woman. Yet she was attacked and nearly killed by one of these creatures. Be on your guard, always."

The clan nodded once more and departed from the room, never noticing the pair of dark eyes following their every move.

0000000000

Maggie watched the main entrance to the Labyrinth closely, never taking her eyes off it for a second. Talon and Claw had left about an hour and a half ago to try and capture the snake thing, and so far they had yet to return.

Maggie turned and observed the Labyrinth dwellers, homeless people who had come here because they had nowhere else to go except the streets. Maggie sometimes wondered if they would have been better off staying on the streets. Since coming here, the dwellers had been forced to deal with Fang nearly taking over the Labyrinth, Demona and Thailog, the clones and now this... This place, for all its good intentions, was a nightmare at times.

Speaking of Fang, Maggie wondered if perhaps she should let him out of his cell and get him to help her locate the others... No! No matter what happened, she would never be that desperate.

Still, if the worst should happen, she may not have any choice?

A loud banging suddenly sounded on the door, startling Maggie out of her reverie. She glanced at it nervously, and slowly approached the thick metal barrier. She punched in the keys to activate the access code.

The door slid open revealing a pair of white-silvery eyes glaring at her from the dark.

Maggie gasped and stepped back in fright.

"Whoa, Maggie," Brooklyn's voice sounded and the red gargoyle came into the light. "Chill, it's just us."

Maggie sighed. She still could not get used to the sight of the gargoyles, even if she did resemble their race. Nevertheless, she was glad to see them now.

"Brooklyn," she greeted him and ran up to him. "Thank heaven you're here! Talon and Claw went out to try and catch some kind of snake that I and one of the children saw a while ago, they haven't been back since!"

Brooklyn patted her back affectionately. "It's alright," he said. "Xanatos told us everything. Now where did Talon and Claw go exactly?"

"Umm, Talon said they were going to try the place where we first saw it," Maggie answered.

"Where was that?"

Maggie pointed behind him. "Down that tunnel and into the fourth one on the left," she said. "It was at the very end, Talon said they wouldn't be long and it's not all that far and it's been... "

"It's alright, Maggie," Goliath deep rumbling voice sounded, trying to calm her. "We will find them, of that you can be assured."

Maggie paused for a few moments, but then sighed and slowly nodded her head in appreciation.

"Come!" Goliath ordered. "The trail grows colder with every passing second." With that, he turned and made his way to the tunnel that Maggie had pointed out, with Lexington and Brooklyn close behind him.

Maggie watched them go for a few seconds and then pressed the locking key, initiating the locking of the door.

Goliath, Brooklyn and Lexington made their way to and through the tunnel in question.

"Talon!" Goliath called out. "Claw!"

But alas, there was no answer.

"Where the hell could they have gone?" Brooklyn wondered out loud.

"You don't suppose," Lex began, "that whatever got Elisa, could have... "

"No!" Goliath said forcefully. "Do not even think it, Lexington. They're both down here, someplace. We will find them." He said the last part adamantly, making it clear that all other thoughts were not open to discussion.

They reached the end of the tunnel and looked around. They had moved into a small room that smelt clearly of garbage and other waste that they did not want to identify. The room also had three other tunnels leading to whoever knew where; Talon or Claw could have gone down any of them.

"Goliath!" Lex gasped. "Look!" He pointed to the middle of the room where there was a small piece of cloth, the same colour as Talon's clothing.

Goliath knelt down and examined the cloth, sniffing it for Talon's scent to confirm whether or not it was Talons, which it was.

"We should split up," Goliath directed, "each go in a different direction and search for Derek and Claw."

"But, Goliath," Brooklyn said unsure, "if these snake things really are as dangerous as we believe them to be, then wouldn't it be best if we stayed together?"

Goliath nodded. "Normally I would agree," he agreed, "but Talon and Claw's lives might be in danger, so we cannot risk the time. We will each go down one of the tunnels and if any of us find anything then they will contact the others on our communicators."

"Goliath," Lexington interjected, "I can't say for sure whether or not our communicators will work down here. We've never tested them so far below ground before. The radio waves might not be able to make it."

Goliath frowned a little, as he tried to understand Lex's words about radio waves, but nodded in understanding at what he was trying to say. "If the communicators don't work," he responded, "then we will just have to do it the old fashioned way and come back to get the rest of us, when and if we find anything."

The others agreed and carefully approached each of the tunnels, seeking out their missing friends.

Goliath went down the first tunnel to his right, his keen eyes searching through the darkness. He took particular care to watch where he was stepping, not only because of the disgusting waste that was piled on the ground, but also for anything that was moving, like a snake.

He walked cautiously through the eerie darkness, his eyes glowing to shed some light.

"Talon!" he called out, but to no avail. "Talon, are you down here?"

There was still no sound to be heard, as he continued wandering through the damp sewers.

'Where could they be?' Goliath thought frustrated.

"GOLIATH!" a scream from Brooklyn startled him out of his thoughts for one second, and pummelled him to race to his second in command.

0000000000

Brooklyn made his way cautiously down the dark and seemingly unending tunnel. The floor was damp and stank worse than Broadway after a 4-course meal.

Suddenly, Brooklyn could hear something from up ahead. He stopped and listened keenly. It was a low gurgling kind of sound, the kind that a man made when in pain and having trouble breathing.

"Talon?" Brooklyn crouched and moved forward to the sound. "Talon, is that you?"

He walked further down until he came closer to the source.

"Claw!" Brooklyn exclaimed in shock. The poor tiger mutate was lying in terrible pain on the ground with multiple wounds on him. He looked as though he himself had been put through a shredder, as patches of his fur were gone and there were horrible gnashes and ripped flesh all over him. He was having enough trouble just trying to keep standing up, and even worse trouble to breathe.

Brooklyn raced to him, taking care not to anger his burning wounds even further.

"Claw," Brooklyn repeated his friend's name, "what happened? Where's Talon?"

Claw looked up at him with tear-filled eyes and made some desperate hand signals, trying to explain.

"Okay, okay, Claw," Brooklyn tried to soothe him. "Just calm down and tell me, or better yet, point to where Talon is. Can you do that?"

Calm nodded nimbly and pointed with his gnarled paw down the tunnel, right into the darkness.

'Swell,' Brooklyn thought almost despairing. 'Just once, I'd like to face an enemy somewhere where there's plenty of light.'

"GOLIATH!" Brooklyn called out to his leader and then made sure that Claw was comfortable before getting up to leave. "Wait here, okay?" he assured his friend. "Goliath will be here soon, so tell him where I've gone when he does. I'm gonna go get Talon."

At his last few words, Claw's eyes went wide with terror and he gripped Brooklyn's arm in his large hand, ignoring the agonising pain it caused.

"Claw?" Brooklyn tried to gently pry the Mutates paw off him. "Hey, let go will ya? I'll only be gone a few minutes at most."

Claw couldn't hold onto Brooklyn's arm any longer, as the pain was too much for him. He was also beginning to feel light-headed, the first sign of loosing conscious with the amount of blood lost. He made some more last minute sign language, as he waved his arm about, slowly and gracefully, like when a person swam, or a snake.

Unfortunately, Brooklyn didn't know what the hell he was on about and before he could even ask, Claws arm dropped down and the Mutate fell unconscious.

"Damn it," Brooklyn swore and gently laid Claw back down, making him as comfortable as possible.

"Hope you don't mind me leaving you here in the muck, Claw," Brooklyn joked to the unconscious tiger, and continued on his way through the tunnel.

"Talon!" Brooklyn called out to Elisa's brother. "Talon, say something if you're near?"

He strained his ears, but heard nothing. He hoped that nothing had happened to the brother of the clan's best friend.

Suddenly, there was something like a loud clash of lightening from up ahead, followed by a cry of pain.

"Talon!" Brooklyn hurried into a run. He rushed through the darkness and finally reached his friend.

"Talon?" Brooklyn slowed down and cautiously approached the figure lying on the ground.

The clothing on the winged figure certainly suggested that it was indeed his leader's mate's brother, but experience had taught him to never assume anything and never ever be fooled by appearances.

"Talon?" he repeated. "If you can hear me then turn over, or grunt or something."

The winged figure groaned and slowly turned over, nearly making Brooklyn scream in the process.

Talon's left eye was gone, leaving an empty socket with blood oozing out. His clothing had been ripped, as had most of his flesh. He was in even worse shape than Claw had been.

"Talon!" Brooklyn recovered, shaking his head in disbelief. "Hang on, Goliath will be here soon. He'll… " He never got the chance to finish what he was about to say.

A loud hissing suddenly sounded behind him, shocking him for a moment. He turned just in time to see a long black snake with countless spikes along its hide, and many rows of long sharp fangs protruding from its mouth.

"Jeezus," Brooklyn whispered unbelieving, his eyes never leaving the clearly unnatural beast.

The hideous snake hissed and spat at him, its dark eyes staring at him intensely.

"Okay," Brooklyn stuttered a little, "I'm guessing that you're not from the local zoo?"

The snake suddenly sprang forward, its spikes acting almost like legs, guiding it forward faster than a mouse.

"Yipes!" Brooklyn cried and side-stepped away from the slithering menace, only for it to gracefully slid in his direction, cutting him off. "Geez, you don't quit, do you?" he swore.

The snake spat and held itself up on its back-hide, trying to spring up at him

"HA!" Brooklyn laughed mockingly. "Missed… AAARRRGGHH!" he screamed, as the snake leaped again, this time successfully slashing him with its spikes, into his flesh.

"Brooklyn!" Goliath's booming voice reached his ears, as he banged the snake's head against the wall, hoping to kill it.

"I'm here!" Brooklyn shouted to his leader. The snake finally released him and he flung it over to the other side of the room. The snake was quick and began to make its way back to him.

"Hell!" Brooklyn swore and prepared to meet his enemy full on.

The snake hissed and sped towards him at full speed… Right before a sharp-edged sheet of metal came slicing through it.

Brooklyn stared at the creature, now sliced cleanly in half, wriggling about on the floor for about a minute before it finally died. He gulped a couple of times before looking up into Goliath's concerned eyes.

"Brooklyn," Goliath asked concerned, as he dropped the sheet of metal he had found and had used on the serpent, "are you alright?"

Brooklyn took a couple of deep breaths, as he steadied his nerves. "Yeah," he replied. "I'm fine, just… just a little shaken up.

Goliath nodded and bent to inspect the now still creature. He frowned. "I've never seen or heard of a creature like this before," he said, as he cautiously poked at it with his talon. "Whatever it is, nature definitely did not make it."

Brooklyn nodded in agreement. "How's Talon and Claw?"

Goliath didn't take his eyes off the snake. "They're… fine, at least reasonably," he replied. "Lexington is with them. Both of them have been severely injured by this thing, but Talon is the worst off, as his eye is lost."

Brooklyn sighed. "Yeah," he nodded. "Pretty hard not to notice that."

Goliath turned the creature's head over to inspect it closer and grimaced at its repulsive appearance. Brooklyn wasn't too keen either.

"Not a handsome fellow, was he?" Brooklyn twisted his beak in disgust at the rows of sharp fangs.

"GET OFF!" Lexington's cry sounded.

"Oh crud, now what?" Brooklyn said almost exasperatedly.

The two of them rushed back into the tunnel, expecting to see another snake attacking their little friend. They were however soon stunned to find no snakes, but their two allies attacking Lexington.

"GET OFF ME!" Lexington cried again, as he struggled against Claw, as he raked his talons across Lex's chest.

Talon growled fiercely, despite his terrible wounds, as he punched Lex in the stomach, laughing as he heard the green gargoyle wheeze and struggle to breathe.

Goliath and Brooklyn snarled in rage, rushing the two injured mutates, tackling them to the ground.

"What is this?" Goliath demanded enraged.

Talon spun at the sound of Goliath's roar, and roared back at him, charging him with his claws hooked.

Goliath tackled the panther mutate, throwing him over his shoulder and slamming him into the floor. He ignored the gapping hole where his brother-in-law's eye used to be, focusing on the battle. Goliath stared into the former Derek Maza's one good eye, and saw only madness in it.

Talon roared again, struggling to his feet to attack, but Goliath never gave him the chance and knocked him out with a swift punch to his face.

Brooklyn and Claw were also tackling one another, snarling and eyes glowing. For Brooklyn, it was only gargoyle nature to do so, but the look on Claw's face was that of the same madness that his leader had possessed.

"OOF!" Brooklyn wheezed, as Claw punched the breath out of his stomach. Claw wasn't an experienced fighter, as Brooklyn was, but his greater stature gave him an advantage.

Lexington was lying on the floor, broken and bleeding fiercely, struggling to maintain his own breath.

Goliath growled and grabbed both Brooklyn and Claw's head in a vice-like grip, and banged them together, hard, wincing as he heard the loud cracking sound their two heads made when they collided.

Claw made a small moaning sound and went down, while Brooklyn stood standing for a little while, his eyes rolling about in his head, before falling backwards onto his back, unconscious.

Goliath stepped mover his second-in-command, over to Claw and Talon to ensure that they wouldn't be able to attack them again.

"Sorry, Brooklyn," he said to his stunned warrior, "but it seemed like a good idea at the time."

0000000000

Maggie chewed his talons nervously, as the minutes ticked by slowly. They had been gone almost 25 minutes, yet it seemed like hours to her.

A loud shrill-like scream echoed from behind her, one she recognised immediately as Toby, again.

She raced through the growing crowd of alarmed citizens, and nearly banged right into Toby, as he ran straight into her path.

"Toby!" she cried. "Whatever's the matter?"

Toby cried, as he hugged her tightly. Maggie tried her best to calm him.

"Was it more of those snake thingies?" she asked fearfully, frightened of what the answer would be.

Despite his head being buried in her embrace, Maggie could feel Toby nod his head and her fears increase.

"The man said he'd deal with them," Toby blubbered.

Maggie blinked. "Man? What man?" she asked.

"The new man," Toby wiped his eyes, "the one who came in a few hours ago. He said he'd deal with the snakes and make them go away."

Maggie was growing more and more nervous by the second, for as far as she knew, there had been no new members to the Labyrinth for at least 2 days now.

"Where is he?" she asked urgently.

Toby pointed down to one of the adjoining tunnels and Maggie gently pulled him away from her and left him in the care of one of the other Labyrinth women, cautiously making her way down them.

That particular tunnel lead to one of the Labyrinth's kitchens. There was usually a lot of noise and people in there, due to the large number of people in the Labyrinth, most of them hungry. Today however, there wasn't even a squeak.

Maggie tiptoed around the corner at the tunnel's end, peeking her head around to see.

Her first reaction was to jump back and run, as most of the kitchen floor seemed to be covered by one of those spiked snakes. It was at least 5 times the size of the first one she had seen… But then, as she inspected closer, she noticed that it wasn't any bigger than the last one. The reason why it was so big was because there were more of them.

Maggie gasped, as the kitchen floor was almost literally covered by at least a dozen of the dangerous black reptiles. However, they were all lying quite still and seemed to take no notice of her.

Maggie took a deep breath and inched herself forward to investigate.

As she entered the kitchen, she noticed a strong smell of smoke. Her first initial thought was that someone had been baking something when the snakes attacked, but then she saw that the gas stoves weren't turned on.

She sniffed about and realised that the smell was coming from the snakes. She walked up to one and knelt down to inspect it further.

The creature was dead, for sure. It had literally been fried to death. The smoke was still rising from its burnt corpse.

With the threat apparently dealt with before she had even got there, Maggie regained some of her courage and touched the snake… and yelped.

The moment she had touched it, Maggie had been met with a small electric shock. It didn't hurt her, but it did make her wonder.

'These things must have been electrocuted,' she thought. 'But how? There's no wires or anything that could have been used for such. And even so, who could have done it?'

It couldn't have been one of the Mutates, as Fang was still in his prison, Talon and Claw were missing, and she had most certainly not done it.

She suddenly remembered what Toby had said about 'the new man' who had said that he would deal with the threat.

"Hello?" she called out. "Is there anyone here?"

No answer.

There wasn't anyway out of this room, except the way she had come. If there had been someone here then she would have surely seen him coming.

Maggie frowned, her thoughts a jumble, when…

"Maggie!" someone yelled for her, from back in the Labyrinth. "The gargoyles are back, they've found Talon and Claw!"

Maggie instantly forgot all about the kitchen mystery, and raced to go meet her lover and friend.

She never noticed the dark silhouette of a man, as he held onto one of the ceiling pipes all the while, as she had gone through the room. The moment she was gone, he dropped from the ceiling and landed gracefully on his feet.

He made a quick sweep of the room, as if checking something, and then proceeded to leave.

Just as he was about to turn the corner and exit, he suddenly spun around faster than the eye could see, and a bolt of lightning electricity burst out from his hand and struck one of the kitchen's gas stoves.

There was a loud hissing sound and the door to the stove fell open, revealing another long and smouldering snake, as it hissed once more before quickly dying.

The man didn't make a comment, as he simply just turned back and walked away.

0000000000

"Well, lookee here!" Fang's obnoxious voice sounded from his cell, as he observed Goliath and the others busy loading Talon and Claw into the next two cells.

Considering how they had acted when they first awoke, it was decided that they would be better off being kept in containment until they could figure out what was wrong with them. So after Maggie had helped dress their wounds, they had brought them to the prison cells, as they were the only place where they would be safe and not cause any damage.

"Looks like I got company," Fang sneered.

Maggie clenched her fangs at him. "He's only here temporarily, Fang," she said simply, "unlike you. Remember that."

Fang smirked and replied, "We'll see, _Nala_."

Maggie sighed. Nala was Fang's newest nickname for her, because she was part lioness and the name Nala was obviously from The Lion King.

"Can it, Fang!" Brooklyn growled at him, while holding an ice pack to his head. When Maggie had asked him about it, he just went quiet and shot an almost murderous glare at Goliath.

Maggie looked at her husband, her eyes filling with tears, as she observed the eye-patch that covered his now empty eye-socket. He and Claw both looked as though they had been thrown into a pit of lions and torn to shreds.

"Did you get all of them?" she asked suddenly afraid.

Goliath lowered Talon onto the bed in the first cell. "As far as we know," he answered, "but we didn't even know about the ones in here in the Labyrinth. If you hadn't contained them, then who knows how much damage they could have done."

"How did you deal with them anyway?" Lex asked, nursing his aching cuts.

"I didn't," she shrugged. "One of the kids says that a man came to the Labyrinth earlier today, and when the snakes showed up in the Kitchen, he went to go after them. Then, when I went into the kitchen, the horrible things were all dead, but there was no sign of anyone being there."

Goliath frowned for a moment. "Very curious," he finally said. "You said that all the snakes had been burnt up?"

Maggie nodded. "I checked them and got a small electric shock when I touched them." She said. "That probably means that they were electrocuted, but… There were no wires or anything that could have been used to destroy them. And only Fang and me were here, and since Fang has been in his cell all this time, I doubt he could have done it. Not that I'd ever expect him to do anything to help us anyway."

Lexington chewed his lower lip in concentration. "Could it have been one of the Venes?" he said.

Goliath bristled a little at their name, but remained calm. "Doubtful," he said. "If so, then why would they summon these creatures in the first place, only to help us destroy them?"

The others frowned too.

"Maggie!" a small rugged boy, about thirteen, ran up to them, ignoring the other gargoyles. "Maggie, we just got a call from mister Xanatos at the Eyrie!"

Suddenly, something struck Goliath in his mind, causing his eyes to widen in horror. "By the Dragon!" he cried. "We have to get back to the Eyrie, at once!"

"Huh?" Brooklyn moaned, as he cradled his head.

"Lexington!" Goliath glanced at the clan's brightest member. "You are too injured to return with us, so you will remain here and help out with talon and Claw as much as you can. Brooklyn… " He turned to his second. "You're with me, come!"

Without another word, and ignoring Brooklyn's dismayed look, Goliath strode out of the prison cells with Brooklyn valiantly trying to keep up, and with everyone's curious looks staring after him.

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**Eyrie; Same Time:**

Owen placed the phone back on its cradle and turned to his employer. "I'm afraid that Goliath is currently unavailable, mister Xanatos," he said.

Xanatos cocked his head at him. "Are things really that bad at the Labyrinth?" he asked.

Owen shook his head. "No," he replied. "Apparently, Goliath had just rushed out of the Labyrinth the moment after we phoned, but they said he was on his way back here."

Xanatos nodded. "Hmmm, he couldn't have found out what we know already, could he?" he asked his assistant.

Owen shook his head again. "Unlikely, sir."

Xanatos sighed. "Very well. I guess we'll just have to wait until he returns. I only hope this bit of information doesn't make Goliath want to interrogate the young lady anymore."

Owen shrugged. "Probably, sir."

Xanatos was about to answer, when the clan's communicator system began to beep, indicating a signal was being received. Owen bent to answer it.

"Hello? Owen Burnett speaking."

There were a few moments of conversation before Owen finally hung up and turned to Xanatos, almost gravely.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news, sir. That was from Hudson, it's about… "

Before he could say anymore, there was a loud scream from the Great Hall. The scream sounded like Angela.

"What the…?" Xanatos said and ran to the hall, with Owen close behind him.

They made their way to the Great Hall, rushed in… and ducked, when a large snake whizzed through the air at them and crashed into the wall.

Xanatos stared at the snake creature in bewilderment for a moment, when he heard a loud roar that could only come from Broadway, and turned to see the beefy warrior, as he swung one of the antique swords, in the hall, at yet another snake, slicing the creature in half.

Angela was close by him, also armed with a sword, slicing and dicing at a number of black snakes with long fangs and countless spikes across their hides.

Owen's eyes thinned, as he stared at the snake things.

"Adroanzi!" he swore, unlike his usual self. He stepped back a notch, and began to glow an eerie green. As Xanatos observed, Owen's body began to shrink, his hair grew and turned white, his ears grew pointy and his glasses disappeared. Within a few seconds, Owen Burnett was gone, and Puck was reborn once more.

"Adroanzi!" the trickster called out. "Filthy creatures of the night, bringers of madness and pain. I banish thee from the world of light, to the darkness from which thou came!"

There was a loud screeching noise that sounded almost like screaming, which came from the snakes themselves. As Xanatos looked, the snakes twisted and turned on the floor, writhing as if in agony, before their bodies began to smoke, as though they were burning in fire.

Broadway and Angela backed away from the hissing snakes, just as they gave their last hiss. The nightmare creatures bodies then began to sort of melt away. It was like watching slugs' melt, when they were sprinkled with salt, only in fast-forward.

Puck glared at the dissolving menaces. "Well," he finally said, "if there ever was any doubt that the Venes weren't involved in this, then there isn't anymore."

"Puck?" Xanatos began slowly. "Just what the Hell was that thing?"

"An Adroanzi," Puck floated over to the now fully disintegrated things, now just blackened marks on the floor. "They're sort of like demon snakes. They cower in the darkness, waiting for any likely victim to come along, then they snatch at you and don't stop until you're nothing but a bloody mess."

"Father!" Angela said suddenly, remembering that he had gone to face the ones in the Labyrinth.

"It's alright, Angela," Xanatos reassured her. "Owen talked to someone at the Labyrinth just previously. He said that Goliath was alright and that he and Brooklyn are on their way home now."

"He and Brooklyn?" Broadway asked fearfully. "What about Lex?"

Puck held up his hand. "Lex was wounded, but he's gonna be okay. He'll have to stay with the Mutates for the day, but should be back tomorrow once he's healed."

"What happened?" Xanatos asked the two gargoyles.

Broadway wiped his forehead, exhausted. "Me and Angela were just gonna go out and check the courtyard, when these things just came out of nowhere and freaking attacked us! Every time that we threw one of them down, another would jump in and take its place!"

Puck sighed. "These things are as fearsome, as they are ugly. They've been known to take down whole tribes, starting with just one of them."

"But how did so many get here?" Angela dabbed Broadway forehead with a damp cloth.

Puck was about to answer, but then he recoiled, as he noticed Angela tending to Broadway, "Wait a sec! Neither of you got bit or scratched or anything from these things, did you?"

Angela and Broadway both inspected themselves and shook their heads.

"No," Angela replied, "why?"

"These things also have a poisonous venom that make you go crazy," Puck answered. "Just one little bite from these things is enough to make you wanna kill each other."

"Is it permanent?" Broadway asked concerned.

"No, its effects don't usually last long, depending on how big a chuck the snakes got out of you…" Puck paused for a second and frowned. "Actually, that probably explains Miss Maza."

"Elisa?" Angela and Broadway both said concerned.

Xanatos answered for Puck. "We had a call from Hudson, who said that Elisa kept waking up with loud fits and hysterical attacks. The doctors had to give at least 3 shots of morphine just to calm her down."

"Will she be okay?" Angela asked the Fey.

Puck shrugged. "Eventually, she should be. The beast got quite a huge chunk out of her hand, so who knows how much of its venom got in her. But if the doctors keep her sedated, then once the poison has run its course, she should be fine."

Broadway and Angela didn't seem fully relieved, but at least they had some reassurance. Puck however wasn't in the mood for sympathy, as he had other problems to deal with now.

"But never mind about that now," he said. "I suggest we all gather in Davey's office and wait for big G, because boy is he gonna spew when he hears what we've got to tell him!"

They all blinked.

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**Half An Hour Later:**

Goliath soared through the skies, with Brooklyn valiantly trying to keep up.

"Goliath!" he called to his leader. "Wait up, will ya? You haven't even said what all the rush is?"

Goliath barely glanced over his shoulder at him. "Those demon snakes attacked Talon and Claw, causing them to go insane," he explained. "Worse yet, they multiplied at an astounding rate. If, whoever it was that helped the labyrinth, hadn't been there to subdue them, then chances are, things could have gone a whole lot worse."

Brooklyn shrugged. "Yeah… so? The snakes are all dead, so what's the problem?"

Goliath sought to go even faster to reach the Eyrie. "Elisa wasn't attacked by these demons at the Labyrinth, remember? She was attacked at the Eyrie, which means that the creature is most likely still there. And if they are just like the ones in the Mutates lair, then who knows how many there are of them now."

Brooklyn suddenly realised why his leader was in such a rush to get home.

"Ohh… crap." he simply said and hurried to keep up.

They soon reached the Eyrie Building and strode into the Great Hall, and stopped.

"Yeesh!" Brooklyn exclaimed in disgust, at the smell that met his nostrils. It smelt like someone had had a barbecue with garbage.

Goliath twisted his nose in revulsion, and then noticed the blackened marks on the floor. "Brooklyn?" he pointed to the marks.

They took one look at one another and then continued their rush to find their clanmates.

"Angela?" Broadway?" they both cried out, fearing the worst.

"Father!" Angela's pleasant voice called back to them.

The two heaved a sigh of relief and slowed their pace, just as Angela came running out of the corridor that lead to Xanatos's office, and rushed into her father's arms.

"Father, thank the Dragon you're safe!" she breathed tearfully into her father's embrace. "A little while ago, all these strange snakes that Puck called the Adroanzi, came out and attacked us. Puck managed to banish al of them, but he says that whoever gets wounded by them, goes temporarily insane."

"Yes," Goliath breathed heavily, "we know."

"You do?" Angela looked up at him curiously.

Goliath nodded. "By the time we got to the Labyrinth," he said, "Talon and Claw had already faced these… Adroanzi, as you call them. They were seriously wounded, so we left them in Lexington's care while Brooklyn and I went to deal with the Adroanzi. We succeeded in killing the one snake, but when we returned, both Talon and Claw seemed to have gone mad and were attacking Lexington. Lexington wasn't hurt badly, thank heaven, but we had to leave him in the Labyrinth's care until tomorrow after he had rested."

"Ouch!" Broadway said grimacing.

"Goliath?" Owen stepped into view. "I see that you are well."

"As well as can be expected, considering that we've had demon snakes taking bites out of our tails, and our own friends turn against us!" Brooklyn moaned.

Owen ignored him. "Please come with me to mister Xanatos's office," he said. "I believe we have something that might be of interest to you."

"About what?" Goliath inquired, but Owen was already walking ahead of them.

Goliath looked at Angela and Broadway, but they said nothing and just hurried after Xanatos' major-domo.

Goliath looked at Brooklyn, but Brooklyn just shrugged and so the two of them followed.

"Ah, Goliath," Xanatos greeted them, as they entered his office. "Good to see that you're still alive."

"Nice to see you too," Brooklyn mumbled.

"Okay," Xanatos continued from behind his desk. "First of all, before I show what we've got, I want you to promise me a couple of things, alright?"

"What sort of things?" Goliath frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Xanatos sighed. "I don't want you getting all angry and tearing up the place," he said. "Most of all, I don't want you saying anything like 'I told you so,' okay?"

Goliath arched an eye-ridge at him, but simply nodded. "Very well."

Xanatos took a deep breath and waved a hand at Owen.

Owen stepped up to Xanatos's television screen and pressed a few buttons, indicating that there was a tape inside the VCR player.

"We've been doing some research on all we could find out about the Venes and their history," Owen said. "It turns out they have a very colourful history, dating all the way after the Salem Witch Trials, which of course I have already informed you about."

Goliath nodded, as the screen blinked on and a picture formed on it.

"From what we've been able to gather," Owen continued. "The Venes, after they fled Salem, settled somewhere north, right by where a Native tribe were living, away from all the witch-hunters, and eventually changed their name from Veneficus to Vene. Once there, they started a farm where they continued practising the mystic arts. They also encountered a master shaman in the Natives village. The Shaman married one of their daughters, thus passing on his mystic knowledge and heritage into their line."

Brooklyn shrugged. "Oh well, at least they didn't cut out his heart."

Owen spared Brooklyn a glance, but made no comment and simply continued with his lecture.

"The farm they started still exists today, and is known to be one of the oldest and most historical properties in the United States." Owen pressed another button and a black and white picture came up on the screen showing a man in his early forties, standing outside a farm. "This is Nicholas Vene, who began opening new farms in various places around the country, in the mid-nineteenth century. His children continued their fathers legacy, as did theirs, and so far the family now owns a vast variety of farms, livestock and other such properties, both in and out of the United States."

Broadway gave a small whistle. "Bet they make a fortune in rump steak!"

The whole clan gave Broadway a long look.

"What?"

"Anyway," Owen said. "Around the turn of the century, the Venes began opening new business, such as oil companies. Theirs were the most successful, as every time they bought a new stretch of land, they discovered oil on it."

"Talk about your good luck!" Brooklyn said.

"Especially when you're a sorcerer," Broadway summarised.

"Quite right, Broadway," Owen confirmed. "The Venes weren't just lucky, they knew exactly where all the oil was before everyone else did. They simply found out where the oil was, on a land where no one knew of it, bought the land without anyone suspecting, and then supposedly discovering their black gold."

"I didn't know sorcerers could do that?" Goliath asked amazed. "I mean, I know of some sorcerers who have travelled in time and know of the future, but… To do that, the Venes would have needed the Phoenix Gate, and that's gone. Isn't it?" He looked cautiously to Owen.

"Yes," Owen replied. "As far as we know, the Phoenix Gate is still lost in the same temporal vortex that you placed it in. And there is no other magic in this world that can create such a talisman, as the gate."

"So how did they do it?" Angela asked.

"We don't know for certain," Owen shrugged, "they must have found an Oracle of some sort."

"An Oracle?" everyone all but said.

"Yes," Owen cleared his throat. "An Oracle is, to put in simple terms, a person with the ability to see into the future."

'Oh, a prophet.' they all thought.

"Then again," Owen said suddenly, "it might have been a demon, which the Venes must have summoned from the underworld to do their bidding." Owen continued. "Most likely to help them in their fortune, as well as other things. This type of demon would be called a Seer."

"And just what does this Seer look like then?" Goliath asked.

Owen touched another button and a picture on the screen showed that of a hideous looking beast with several pairs of eyes, all of them glaring out on them. It's body looked as though it was made of nothing, but eyes actually.

"Wouldn't a thing like that tend to stand out in a crowd?" Broadway said, as he pointed at the monstrosity.

Owen nodded. "No doubt, but then again… The Venes are known for their resources."

Owen then looked at his employer, who nodded and waved for him to continue.

Owen lowered his organic hand over the remote control. "We continued looking over all the records we could find of the Venes, and we discovered something that you, Goliath, should find most intriguing."

"What?" Goliath demanded.

"Alright," Xanatos interjected. "Just remember our bargain… No 'I told you so's,' and no rampaging?"

Goliath thinned his eyes at him. "What… have you found?" Goliath hissed through his fangs.

Xanatos sighed and braised his hand for Owen.

Owen pressed another button and the screen showed another black and white photograph.

From the way that the people in the photo were dressed, it looked like it was set in Victorian times. The photo was that of a gentleman in a dark suit and top hat, a lady in a white dress with a strange looking hat, and two children, a boy of about eight who was dressed in a sailor outfit, and a little girl… They all stopped and stared at the girl.

"This is Edward Vene," Owen continued. "His wife, Christine, and their son, Jordan."

"What about the little girl?" Angela asked.

Owen shook his head. "According to the then reports, birth certificates and such… Edward and Christine had only one child, which was their son. There's no record of her ever being pregnant again, after the birth of Jordan. This little girl just seemed to appear out of nowhere."

"Maybe they had her out of state?" Broadway suggested. "If she was born somewhere else, then the girl's birth records could be in another state somewhere?"

"Or maybe they didn't have her at all?" Brooklyn stepped in. "She could have been adopted?"

"Again, no records of adoption or such," Owen replied. "But that's not all. Take a look at these small family portraits." He touched the control and four other old photographs appeared on the screen, side by side.

"The first one on the top-left," Owen proceeded, "is that of Jordan Vene, years later when he was 35, with his wife and 2 sons. Keep in mind… " Owen suddenly paused, "…that I'm only speaking of the children whom we have registered births of." He then continued. "Following him on the next photo to the right, is his son, Peter Vene and his 3 daughters. Then his daughter Ruth with her 2 sons, and finally… Roberto Vene with his one son, Abraham, who is Cecile Vene's father."

The clan all stared at the family photos. Jordan Vene's family should have only consisted of him, his wife and their 2 sons, as Owen had said, yet… There were 5 people in their huddle, not 4. The fourth person was a small child, a little girl; dressed in a white frilly dress with fair hair, tied in bunches.

It was the same in the next picture, and all the others after that. Where there should have been only 4 or 5 people in the picture, there was one other. The wardrobe that she wore was different in each image, and her hair was worn differently, but… In each captured image, the same haunting pale eyes stared out back at them, all of which were Sarah Vene, the child who was even now locked up in their prison cell.

"Jalapeno!" the clan breathed.

**The End… Not! **


	3. Demon Child: PART 14

_**All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Storyseeker.**_

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The clan all stared in amazement at the four photographs, each with the same child within it. The little girl was dressed differently in each photo, but aside from that, there was no mistaking the resemblance.

"It's her," Lex could only gasp the obvious.

"No kidding," Brooklyn snorted, but still couldn't stop looking at the pictures.

Goliath's face was a mystery, as he had remained silent all throughout.

"The lass must be immortal," Hudson declared.

"Must be," Broadway confirmed.

"What if the girls in these pictures are all just look-alikes?" Angela said unsure. At the disbelieving looks she was getting, she shrugged. "I admit it doesn't sound likely, but these are all photos of the Venes family. Members of a family always look alike in each generation."

"Perhaps, miss Angela," Owen replied. "But all of these girls don't just look alike, as officially speaking… none of them were ever born. There are no records of their births ever taking place, or that any of their mothers were ever pregnant at the time when they should have been born. That cannot be a coincidence."

"Agreed," Goliath finally said. "So what is she, Owen? A demon, or an Oracle?"

Owen sighed. "I cannot say, " he admitted. "If she is a demon, then she or the Venes have managed to disguise her true form extremely well, as I cannot sense any nether-worldly force around her."

"Is there any way for us to find out?" Hudson asked.

"Yes, " Goliath interjected. "I'll go ask her."

Before anyone could even raise an eye-ridge at his suggestion, he had already left the room.

0000000000

Sarah Vene sat on the floor, playing with her crayons as usual. She didn't even raise an eyelid at the sound of the door opening, and the large footsteps of what could only be a gargoyle, coming towards her.

"What are you?" Goliath simply asked, his voice low and not in his usual menacing anger.

Sarah stopped drawing for a second, and then slowly raised her head up to his.

"You wish to know my origins?" she asked. Goliath had already noticed that her voice had always seemed a lot more mature than her early years, but it was only now hat he realised that it was more than just mature… It sounded ancient.

"Yes," he replied.

"What do you wish to know?"

Goliath took a deep breath. "For starters, just tell me who are you? Are you really one of the Venes?"

"What makes you ask that?" she cocked her head at him.

"I didn't notice until recently," Goliath began, "but you really don't look anything like the rest of your family. Plus, there's the fact that we now know that you're a lot older than your siblings, at least over a century old, perhaps older. You tell me?"

Sarah shrugged. "I long since lost track of my age, decades ago. It became unimportant to me."

Goliath tapped the control panel on the cell door, and stepped into the child's, or whatever she was, cell.

"Who are you?" he repeated.

The girl cocked her head again, her eyes looking as though they were searching for something.

"Sarah Michelle Foster," she finally said. "Daughter of Angelus and Martha Foster."

"Goliath kneeled down beside her. "So you're not one of the Venes by blood then?"

"I'm not one of the Venes at all," Sarah shivered. "My family were simple farmers back in the old west, a century ago. None of us were into magic, most of us didn't even believe in it… Until I came along, that is."

"So you're an Oracle then?" Goliath deduced.

"Yes and no," Sarah looked ashamed for some reason.

"What do you mean?"

Sarah sighed and looked straight at him, here eyes betraying her true age. "I was born before the turn of the century," she began. "At the moment of my birth, my parents knew that I was unlike others. I never cried like normal children, and I seemed to possess a gift for knowing when danger was afoot and such. But none of that mattered to us."

Goliath watched, as she paused for a moment before continuing. "As I said, our lives were simple and joyful. I was the youngest of six children and my siblings and I were very close. They took care of me when my parents could not, and together we all lived and worked on our farm. But paradise never lasts long, as I was soon to find out, even as a child."

"What happened?" Goliath asked interested.

"The Venes are what happened," she replied without any true emotion. "They came to our state, buying new acres of land for their own farms and to mine oil. It wasn't long before they came knocking on our front door, making us an offer for our home. Father politely refused them, but they were persistent. When they wouldn't go, father got angry and tried chasing them out with his shotgun, but he was soon to learn that that was a mistake… You _never_ threaten a Vene."

Goliath wondered if Sarah's father had managed to live to a ripe old age, or if at all?

"Edward Vene was the then Vene, who came to our home," Sarah said. "When father threatened him, I knew he would make an example of my father for no one to ever dare defy him. I could sense what he was about to do and stepped in, shouting at my father to stop, and that the devil was in that man." Sarah paused and sighed. "That was the biggest mistake of my life, as by doing so I had revealed my gift to Edward."

Goliath had a sneaking suspicion of where this was heading. "He wanted you instead of the farm?" he asked

Sarah nodded. "Funny thing was, although I was only three at the time, he made his proposition to me and me alone. He left the rest of my family out of it and whenever one of them tried to intervene, Edward silenced them, thankfully not permanently though." She picked up a red crayon and started drawing again. "He said no harm would come to my family and they would be left to live in peace on the farm, which would forever grow a bountiful harvest and be protected from all outsiders."

"And you trusted him?" Goliath asked unsure and a little amazed.

"No," she admitted. "But I knew what he would do if I refused. There was no choice to make. I accepted his offer and he took me from my family, despite their objections… I never saw them again." A small solitary tear escaped her eye. "The Venes wanted to use my visions to aid them in locating more oil, but I could only sense danger and occasionally see one or two visions of the future."

"So you were of no real use to them then?" Goliath asked confused.

"Yes… but they had the power to change that," Sarah shuddered.

Goliath had a feeling of dread come upon him. "How?"

Sarah idly drew on her piece of paper with the red crayon. "Do you know what a Seer is?"

Goliath held his breath for a second. "One of our allies just told us that it's some kind of demon." He revealed.

"Your Fey friend, correct?" Sarah smiled slightly at Goliath's raised eye-ridge. "Remember, I am an Oracle."

"Ah, right, of course," Goliath said, still slightly taken back.

"Anyway," she continued. "You are correct about the Seer. It is a demon, often referred to as the being of many eyes. The reason for its much number of eyes is that it sees all, from the past to the future. In other words… its visions far exceed my own."

"So why didn't the Venes use that abomination, instead of you?"

Sarah shrugged. "Because I'm more easy to control than a demon. A demons vision powers are not the only thing greater than mine. If a Seer were to be let loose on the world, then it could cause absolute chaos, destroying everything in its path and knowing everyone's first move before they even thought of it."

Goliath nodded in understanding. "So they chose you instead?"

"No," she said gravely. "They chose both of us."

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**Bedford Hotel: **

Cecile's eyes sprang open, her trance interrupted. "DAMIEN!" she screamed out her brother's name. "Will you keep that racket down!"

A short shrieking came from the other room, and Damien came in a second later with a tiny kitten dangling loosely from his hand, a kitten that was wearing a tiny suit that greatly resembled one of the hotel chef's uniforms.

'Oh no,' Cecile thought, sighing inwardly, 'not again.' At this rate, the hotel was going to need some serious recruitment soon.

"I take it dinner wasn't to your satisfaction?" Thailog asked casually, eyeing the dressed kitten.

Damien responded with only a sneer.

"Damien," Cecile spoke coldly. "Normally, I wouldn't care less about the help or what you do to them… but dad has mentioned countless times to us to keep a low profile and not to attract any unwanted attention."

"Bah," Damien snorted. "How's he gonna know?"

Suddenly, the phone started ringing. Cecile sighed and went to answer it. A moment later her face, which was normally all cocky and full of confidence, was now ashen white and filled with worry.

"Be careful what you say, dear brother," she whispered venomously and then spoke into the phone again. "Hello, father."

_Cecile_. A low voice could be heard on the line, one that Thailog with his sensitive Gargoyle ears could hear perfectly. The voice sounded more or less like a normal man in his middle years, but there was something else too. He voice had something like an ancient echo to it, older than its years, but also filled with darkness.

Thailog knew how twisted and evil the Vene children were, so he could only imagine what their parents must be like.

Mind telling me why I have gotten a bill from the Penthouse, asking for over $100,000 in compensation to the damages caused recently?

Cecile gulped. "Well, you see, daddy…" she stuttered a little. "It's like this… Ummm, you remember those Gargoyles you said you were interested in, here in Manhattan. Well, the boys and I were thinking… "

_Stop babbling, girl! _Cecile's father's strong voice sounded down the phone. _I do remember the clan. I should do, considering I made sure to arrange that the Canmore family would learn about them, and head out there to lure the clan out of hiding. _

"Yes, father," Cecile replied. "But things didn't go quite according to plan, as the Canmores were unsuccessful in containing the clan and… "

Why would I want them to do that? Her father asked suddenly.

Cecile paused. "Well, I assumed that you would want the beasts captured?"

_Yes, but not by those reckless fools!_ _I only sent those Hunters out there because I knew they would be enough to lure the Gargoyles, if there was indeed a clan out there, out of hiding and reveal their existence to me. If the Hunters had succeeded in capturing them, then that would have been a shame to loose some rare creatures, but not a big loss. I only wanted them to find them, nothing else. Now tell me…what have you been up to, young lady? _

Cecile sighed. "Damien, Nathan and I tried to capture the Gargoyles."

Very well, I respect that. But tell me, what has that got to do with the thousands of dollars repair?

"We first went to the Gargoyle's home, which unbelievably is in that new castle they built in New York, on top of the tallest building in Manhattan. Its owner, David Xanatos, is hiding them there. We tried it civilised at first by going to them and offering Mr. Xanatos a substantial fee for his troubles, but… we were rejected.

_Not surprising. _Her father said. _And then? _

"We could have taken them right there and then, but… Well… "

_What? _Her father's voice was starting to loose its patience.

Cecile felt a little hot under the collar. "Well, it had been a boring past couple of weeks, so we… We thought we would have a little fun with them." She tried unsuccessfully to defend herself. "We just gave them the old warning to start with. You know, 'we'll be back' and giving them a taste of our powers and all that. Then we summoned the Midguard Serpent to terrorise downtown and a dragon to attack their home."

_So far, all you have done is easily forgivable. I would have done the same thing myself probably, if in the same situation. But that still doesn't explain how our penthouse is in ruins?_

"Well," Cecile clicked her teeth. "Well, needless to say that the clan wasn't too happy with our attacks. You know how obsessed those things are with protecting? So they decided to launch a counterattack. They located where we were staying at our penthouse and tried to do away with us all."

There was a silence on the other line for a long while, so silent that Thailog couldn't even hear any breathing coming from either side. Until at last, Cecile's father, who he remembered being called Abraham Vene, spoke.

_You mean to tell me that one tiny clan of Gargoyles broke into one of our homes, and you allowed them to rage through it, destroying everything in their path?_

"Not quite, daddy," Cecile defended herself. "We were all set for them. We didn't believe for one second that they would find us, but if they did then we wouldn't be unprepared."

_So how did they get the better hand of you then?_

Cecile sighed. "They had some help, help that none of us expected or could have ever prepared ourselves better for."

_Help, what kind of help, and from whom? What possible defence could they have that can be immune to our power?_

"Would you believe King Arthur and Excalibur?" Cecile replied.

There was a long silence, which had Cecile in high anxiety. Finally her father responded… _King Arthur, eh? _

"Yes, father," Cecile hoped this would be enough of an excuse for her father not to incinerate her.

_I know of Arthur. Unlike what the historians believe, we Venes were once tutors to none other than Morgana Le Fey, Arthur's half-sister. We know of nearly all that went on at that time. We know that Arthur had been mortally wounded in his last battle, but there was never a tomb or a grave, so we concluded that his teacher, Merlin, must have seen to his resurrection, but we never found out what had become of either of them._

"But after so many centuries," Cecile said confused. "How could he still be alive? Arthur was no halfling, no Fey blood in him, so how could he live through over 1500 years?"

_A number of reasons could be the cause, daughter… suspended animation, a leap through a time portal…or perhaps a bit of both?_

"Eh?"

_I recall from my studies that the Fey of which you spoke of, live on an island that exists outside of our time and space. Time there passes slower than that in our world. Plus, it is said that the air of Avalon has mystical healing properties, so it is reasonable to say that maybe Merlin more than likely brought Arthur there to recuperate._

"Yes, that would be logical. Xanatos even has one of the Fey working as his manservant."

_Interesting. That piece of information might prove very useful later. Does Xanatos know what his manservant truly is?_

"He should, considering that he changed into his true form right before he attacked us and turned Damien and Nathan into donkeys."

There was a slight chuckle at the other end. _So the boy's foolish jackass attics finally caught up with them, eh? Hopefully it will teach them some self-control at long last._

"I also gained myself a manservant, father." Cecile smiled darkly. "One who will definitely prove useful to us in defeating the Gargoyle clan, and maybe in defeating Arthur as well."

_Intriguing, but before I ask who he is… I wish to know more of this supposedly King Arthur. You are certain that it is he? I'd hate to find out that this so called timeless king turns out to be nothing more than a fruitcake with an authentic looking blade that fooled you._

"Yes, I am sure." Cecile assured him. "He used the sword against us and despite all the endless hours of teachings you've graciously given us… Nothing could have prepared us for the power that that blade wielded on us."

_Most intriguing._ Her father's voice sounded so intent on all the information she had of Arthur, it was one of the few rare times when she had ever had his full attention. _What are you planning to do now?_

"We're planning to just weaken the Gargoyle's defences, daddy," Cecile reported. "We've already started by sending off a small plague of Adroanzi. We've got other things planned, nothing certain, but we'll ensure that by the time we initiate the true attack, they'll be nothing even vaguely resembling warriors of the night, as they've been so described over the centuries. They'll be like putty in our hands, so to speak."

Her father sighed. _You always were a poor student when it came to battle drills, Cecile._ He added sharply. _Magic is not something to be used so lightly, and it is definitely not something that should be wasted so!_

"Well, what would you have us do then?" Cecile replied sharply, forgetting her respect. "Just stand by and wait for them to attack us and then use our magic?"

Her father remained deadly silent. _Contact, Lightning. He owes us a favour or two._

Cecile snorted. "Lightning's a thief! What possible reason would you have for using him? And anyway, he never does anything for free, and he charges an arm and a leg and you know his stupid code… He only goes… "

_I'm well aware of his conditions, daughter! But I also know that when it comes to someone of his skills and talents, there's none finer than him._

"So you want us to hire him to steal that sword from his almighty highness, himself?"

_No. I agree with your original plan of weakening the clan's defences before the true attack. Have Lightning go after something of this David Xanatos. I understand he's gathered quite a collection in the past few years, and him and Lightning have a history together already. Just choose something that Xanatos would no doubt have under his tightest security, and have Lightning go after it._

Cecile sighed. "As you say, father."

_Lightning has never gone after something in Xanatos's actual building. It will be beneficial for us to know Xanatos's strengths and weaknesses in his own home, and Lightning can find all that out for us by going in after whatever it is that he prizes most._

"Ah, an information gathering mission," Cecile understood now.

_Correct. Now see to it._

"As you wish," Cecile prepared to put the phone down.

_Oh, and Cecile…?_

She paused.

_INFERNO!_

Cecile blinked, and then screamed, as she felt her hair blaze and burn, as it burst into flames.

_Don't… EVER talk back to me!_ He said before hanging up.

Thailog stepped back, watching the running and screaming Vene, with her head all alight. A great part of him took immense delight in watching the girl of his nightmares get tortured herself, but another part of him also took great fear. He knew that the adult Venes must be powerful, as their children were so, but if this Abraham could do this from another country and on the phone… Lord, help them all.

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**Eyrie: **

"What do you mean they chose both of you?" Goliath asked in confusion.

Sarah finished what she was drawing with her red crayon and held it up for Goliath to see. It was a crude drawing, similar to what Owen had shown them earlier of the Seer.

"This is what I am now," she replied.

Goliath's eyes widened. "You're… a Seer?"

"Partly," she said, placing the paper on the floor. "When it became clear to the Venes that my visions were of no real use to them, they decided to attempt charging my powers with a little demon energy. They summoned the Seer from its hell dimension, and through ancient stolen magic, they merged the demon's life force with my own."

"They made you part demon?"

Sarah nodded. "When we merged, I gained the Seer's superior power of precognition. Its powers were of course greatly diluted because of my humanity, but they were still among the greatest in the world. With them, I was able to see future events of the next century with uncanny accuracy. I told the Venes where all the oil was from Texas to New Jersey." Sarah then looked a little regretful. "I also warned them of any incoming dangers that might threaten them, dangers like the one you and your clan brought."

Goliath looked a little unsure at the old child. If she had told him this just a few hours ago then he would be screaming murder, but now… Now after hearing all about her past, he couldn't help, but feel some pity toward the abused being.

"I suppose you didn't really have much of a choice."

"As much as a mouse has when trapped in its cage," she replied.

"Is that why you haven't aged since then?"

Sarah nodded. "The demon's unholy blood keeps my body as it was when it and I were first joined. I can neither age, fall sick nor suffer injury, as its power keeps me sustained and will continue to do so for all time."

"Can the curse not be removed?"

Sarah shook her head. "The Venes took great deals to ensure that once the spell was cast, it could never be removed. I am of no use to them as a simple child again, with minimal strength in magic. But that's not what the worst part is."

"You mean there's more?" Goliath asked, horrified at what this family would do to gain power.

"You forget," she explained while looking up with her innocent eyes that were full of history and insight. "I do have a demon locked inside of me, remember?"

"Yes?"

"Like a Werewolf, every so often I undergo a terrifying transformation, where the demon inside of me needs to be unleashed for a certain amount of time. While I am in that state, the demon rampages out of control, destroying any and all that gets

Goliath began to feel uneasy. "When do you undergo these transformations?"

"At various times," she shrugged. "It all depends on how long I'm able to contain the demon in me. It's literally a wild animal, urging to get out and cause chaos. I keep it locked down for as long as possible, but it gets stronger over time and eventually breaks out."

Goliath remembered what the Seer had looked like in the picture that Owen had shown them and wondered if she turned into something like that?

"Fortunately though," she continued, "the demon doesn't stay in control forever. When it takes command of my body, I can see and hear everything that it does, but can do nothing about it. Eventually it wears out its energy and weakens. When that happens, it looses its hold and I take back command."

"How long does the demon stay in control?"

"It depends on how much energy the creature wastes when awake." She explained. "The longer it remains dormant, the stronger it becomes, and the stronger it is when it awakes, the more energy it has to keep it around… Fortunately, that's all the energy it has at that moment. It uses the same energy for everything else, including causing chaos. The more power it uses, the quicker its energy runs out and the sooner I come back."

"Do your… keepers, keep you locked up when you undergo this change?" Goliath asked.

Sarah smiled lightly, without humour. "Do you honestly think that the Venes would care about what happens to everyone else, other than themselves?"

Goliath gripped his fists tightly.

"They don't keep me around, as the demon has no comparison when it comes to targets." Sarah made circles with a black crayon. "It attacks anything and anyone that crosses its path. So when the change occurs, they simply make sure that I'm not around them when it does."

"They simply let you out into the public and do nothing when it attacks innocents," Goliath concluded.

Sarah nodded.

Goliath mentally swore. He should not be surprised at the Vene's lack of morality and concern for others, but nevertheless he was enraged and disgusted at it. Whatever humanity their family might have once had, must have been bled out of them long ago.

Sarah suddenly stiffened. "I knew you would be coming to see me about my past tonight, Goliath," she said.

Goliath was about to ask her why, but then realised that that would be a stupid to ask someone who could see into the future.

"It seems fate intended you for this," she continued. "Finding out about me and my little… problem."

"Why?" Goliath asked confused.

"I suggest you let yourself out of this cell," she answered, as her fists began to tighten. "You will soon see what I mean."

"What are you…?" Goliath paused, as he looked straight… into Sarah's _five_ eyes, staring right at him, and as more eyes continued to open all over her face.

"Jalapena!" Goliath swore.

**To Be Continued…**


	4. Sibling Rivalry: PART 15

_**All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Storyseeker.**_

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_**Previously on Gargoyles: **_

_Her father remained deadly silent. "Contact, Lightning. He owes us a favour or two." _

_Cecile snorted. "Lightning's a thief! What possible reason would you have for using him? And anyway, he never does anything for free, and he charges an arm and a leg and you know his stupid code… He only goes… " _

_"I'm well aware of his conditions, daughter! But I also know that when it comes to someone of his skills and talents, there's none finer than him." _

0000000000

_"It seems fate intended you for this," she continued. "Finding out about me and my little… problem."_

_"Why?" Goliath asked confused. _

_"I suggest you let yourself out of this cell," she answered, as her fists began to tighten. "You will soon see what I mean." _

_"What are you…?" Goliath paused, as he looked straight… into Sarah's five eyes, staring right at him, and as more eyes continued to open all over her face. _

_"Jalapeno!" Goliath swore._

0000000000

**And now, the conclusion: **

Goliath watched, as the young Vene transformed into a hideous purple-skinned creature with thousands of red eyes popping up all over her body.

"Jalapeno!" he swore and backed away from the newly transformed demon.

The demon that had once been a beautiful human child, looked up with its grotesque face, its countless eyes scouring the cell. It caught sight of him and snarled.

Goliath immediately raced out of the cell, just as the demon sprang up at him, and slammed the cell-door shut before it had a chance to escape.

The demon leapt up at the bars of the cell, igniting the electricity that coursed through them. The energy sparkled like a thousand electrical storms all at once, but the demon didn't even flinch. It held onto the bars, attempting to crush them in its eye-covered hands.

Goliath held his breath, as the creature attempted to do so, but thankfully, the demon only got as far as bending the bars slightly out of shape before it finally let go of the steel-reinforced cell-doors. The demon limped, because of the dozen eyes that now covered its feet, back to the place where only moments ago, a young girl had been drawing and having an intense conversation with Goliath. But instead of drawing, it ripped the pictures into shreds and snarled at them, as though they were reminding it of a bad dream.

_Goliath? _Xanatos's voice sounded through the intercom system. _What's going on in there? _

Goliath sighed. "I'll explain it to you all in your office, Xanatos." He replied. "In the meantime, Xanatos, I suggest you have your experts come and reinforce this cell with all the security you can manage."

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**Bedford Hotel; Broadway: **

Cecile moaned, as she applied some of the healing potion into her now baldhead, severely burned from the fire spell that her father had used on her.

"Thank you, dad," she muttered under her breath.

A small sound from behind her, directed her attention. "Something amusing, Thailog?" she asked her slave.

Thailog remained as stoic-faced as ever. "No," he replied.

Cecile thinned her eyes at him. "Take care, Thailog," she warned him. "What my father did to me is nothing compared to what I could do to you… or your Lana!"

Thailog's eyes darkened red, eliciting a tiny smile from Cecile.

"Cecile!" her brother's, Damien, voice called out. "We have got in touch with Lightning. He will meet us tonight at the rendezvous point."

Cecile called back to her brother. "Fine, have the reception desk call us a limo and get us there, pronto!"

She walked slowly up to Thailog until she was barely an inch away from him.

"I suggest you tread carefully, my slave," she whispered seductively to him, as she reached her hand into his loincloth, stroking him. "I don't mind the occasional little temper tantrum, or a small defiance every now and then… " She grinned. "It makes you look more sexy."

But then her face turned more serious. "But laugh at me behind my back, or try to make a fool out of me at any time…" She gripped his manhood painfully, eliciting a cry out of him. "… And I'll make you so sorry that you'll be begging for death!" Her eyes glowed an ugly looking shade of red and purple.

Thailog struggled not to scream, fearful of what she would do. "I swear I won't do anything to displease you… my mistress." He said the last part with great difficulty.

Cecile laughed. "Of course not!" she released him and kissed him full on the lips. "How would you ever displease me?" She moved around him, slapping him on his ass. "Now, get down on all fours!"

Thailog looked at her in confusion. "But… I thought you were in a hurry?" he asked.

Cecil smiled dangerously. "I am, so hurry it up."

Thailog was confused, but did as she commanded and got down on his hand and feet-claws.

Cecile moved around him, like a viper. "Are you happy to serve me?" she asked him.

Thailog looked up at her. "Do you want a truthful answer to that?"

Cecile shrugged. "Probably not."

"Then yes, I'm very happy to serve you," he lied through his fangs.

"Then show me, my little love puppet. Wag your tail."

"What?" Thailog blanched.

"Wag your tail," Cecile repeated. "And bark like a dog."

Thailog snarled. "I will do no such…" But didn't say anything further, as he felt all air being sucked out of his throat.

"You were saying?" Cecile asked, as her eyes focused on his throat and glowed an emerald green.

Thailog gasped for breath, before he nodded, defeated. Cecile waved her hand, her eyes returning to normal and air once more filled his throat.

Thailog bit his lip and wagged his tail whilst making a sound similar to what Goliath's beast, Bronx, always made.

"_Woof! Woof!" _

Cecile laughed out loudly, enjoying the show. "You certainly make a fine bitch, Thailog, whether you want to be or not." She turned around and made ready to leave. "Now let's go, and no slacking." She left the room.

Thailog got up to his feet, his eyes now more red than they had ever been. He watched Cecile, as she left the room. His thoughts on one thing after another… Grab her by the head and slam it in the door repeatedly, or smash the mirror and use its pieces as a dagger, or…

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**Somewhere Downtown: **

The limousine drove them all the way downtown, into the less decorative part where only the vagrants and human-sized rats lived.

Thailog shuffled uncomfortably in the leather-covered limo. This car may have just been big enough to fit him in, but only just barely. Neither the driver nor any of the passing public had given him a second look, as Cecile had concealed him with an illusion spell.

Finally, the car came to a stop outside a pitiful café that looked as if it hadn't been open since the turn of the century. There were cracks all along the walls, one of the windows was broken and boarded up, and there was garbage everywhere. There was a light on inside however, which showed that there was at least someone in.

"Driver, stop here!" Cecile ordered.

The limo driver did as she said, but looked around nervously. "Are you sure, miss? This café doesn't look as if it's in business, and the neighbourhood isn't the safest…"

"When I want your opinion, I'll ask for it!" Cecile replied sharply. "Boys, come on!"

Cecile opened the car door, and let herself out. "Be sure to still be here, waiting for us, when we're done, _cabby_!" she addressed the driver.

The driver sniffed a little, insulted that he was being referred to as a common cab driver, but remained silent and simply nodded.

'Good choice, pal,' Thailog thought. He didn't think Cecile, nor any of her siblings, would react too well if the driver dared to speak back to them.

Damien and Nathan were also with them, eyeing the driver especially nastily, obviously thinking the same thing as Thailog. Cecile gave them a sharp look, basically telling them to forget it, and they lowered their heads in acknowledgement.

The four of them, Thailog, Cecile, and the twins, went to the front door of the café, which indeed said 'closed'. But Cecile merely opened the door with a slight push, walking inside with the boys close behind her.

"Lightning?" she called out, not bothering to whisper.

"I'm here," a voice whispered from the darkness. Even with his acute gargoyle night sight, Thailog couldn't make out who it was and where it was coming from.

Cecile snorted. "Is all this drama really necessary? You know it's us, so cut the theatrics."

"Who's the big guy?" the voice that Cecile referred to as 'Lightning', replied.

Cecile smiled, and patted Thailog on the chest. "My new plaything!" she announced. "Isn't he cute?"

Lightning snorted. "My sympathies to him then."

Cecile muttered something incoherent, while Thailog smiled inwardly. Apparently, this Lightning character knew Cecile quite well.

"What is it you want, this time?" Lightning asked.

"Not me, my father" Cecile answered. "He wants to go after something at the Xanatos Enterprises main building."

"The Eyrie?" Lightning said, as he came out of the darkness. "Tallest building in all of New York, with the old castle on top?"

When Thailog first saw him, he wanted to laugh. This Lightning fellow was no more than a kid. He couldn't be that much older than Cecile was. He looked to be of mixed race, skin the colour of coffee, with dark black hair, cold eyes and he was dressed all in black.

The more that Thailog looked at him, the more familiar he looked. He couldn't put his talon on it, but there was something so familiar about his face.

"That's the one," Cecile continued.

"And what is it that I'm supposed to be getting?"

Cecile shrugged. "Anything that's of real top value, basically. Daddy wasn't too specific on what he wanted. So he just said go for the most valuable thing you could find."

Lightning sighed. "Practically everything in Xanatos's place is of top value. I'm gonna need something a bit more specific than that."

"Oh, all right," Cecile, sighed. "Go for… the Star of Arabia. I hear that's one of his favourite ornaments. Oh, and see if you can scrounge up any fancy bits and pieces of data on new robots and weaponry. Daddy will love that."

Lightning shrugged. "If you want me to go after more than one item, then the price is gonna be double."

"Fine, fine!" Cecile replied impatiently. "You understand what you gotta get then?"

"Oh, sure," Lightning said sarcastically. "You don't want me to get anything."

"Excuse me?"

"I maybe a thief, Cecile," he continued, "but I'm not stupid. You don't want anything from Xanatos, except his most valuable bits and pieces. Come on, talk about obvious!" He lit a cigarette and took a small puff. "It's obvious that this is nothing more than information retrieval. You want me to go after either the most expensive, or the most top-secret thing that Xanatos has, the thing that he'll most likely have under the highest of security. That way, you can see how I'll do under the stress and what preparations you'll have to make to go after what it is that you really want."

Cecile smiled. "You always were the brightest among us, Bre… "

"I told you before, never call me by that name!" Lightning snapped.

Cecile held up her hands. "Sorry. But you were and still are the brightest… Lightning. So, do we have a deal?"

Lightning took another puff of his cigarette and then looked at her. "This is gonna be a tough job. I've only gone after one thing of Xanatos's, and I didn't go through any of his security. There's every chance that I might get caught, so I don't want my usual fee, this time I want triple."

"Triple?" Cecile stuttered. "No way, guinea pig! We Venes might be rich, but we're not made of money. Plus, we're not stupid, as we know plenty of other cat burglars who'll do this for us, a lot cheaper."

"Yeah, but how many of them are as good as me?" Lightning smirked.

Cecile chewed on her lower lip. "How about this? You go after the most expensive item in Xanatos's place… If you get it and escape, you can keep it, along with your usual fee. So long as you give us detailed information on Xanatos's place?"

Lightning had a thoughtful look upon his face. "And what if I fail, and get caught? I'm not about to risk my freedom for that kind of payment, especially with..."

"And…" Cecile continued. "If you fail, then you'll receive double your usual fee, all of which will be paid into your private account, as always. I'm sure your… companion, will know what to do with it. Plus, as consolation, my family will provide your companion with all the necessities that she'll need and to keep her in the state that she's living in now, for the rest of her life."

When he remained quiet, Cecile sighed. "_And_… as soon as we get the chance, my family and I will attempt to break you out of jail."

Lightning paused for a few moments, his mind looking as though it was a million miles away. Finally, he replied, "Alright. Deal!"

Cecile smiled again and held out her hand for him to shake,… which he did not.

"How soon do you want the info?" he simply asked.

Cecile narrowed her eyes. "By the end of the week, at the very latest, no later. You know how daddy hates to wait."

Lightning nodded. "See you in a few days then," he said and returned to the shadows, disappearing from sight.

Cecile grinned. "You've got to admire his dedication to work," she said. "Of course, you wouldn't know him if you didn't know him when he was younger."

"What? In infant school?" Thailog replied curiously. "That kid's not much older than you."

Cecile didn't even look at him. "He's remarkably mature for his age. He's come to realise things that not even old age pensioners know," she said; as she turned around, ready to leave. "When we first found him, he was a sickly dying boy, full of hate and anger. Now, he's a legend. The most gifted thief in all of New York, and quite possibly the world."

Thailog didn't reply and just followed her and her brothers out of the café, stopping once to see if he could see the young thief, but all he could see were the shadows.

"What was all that stuff about, concerning his companion?" Thailog asked wondering.

Cecile shrugged. "He's… involved with someone," she said. "Let's leave it at that, cos he doesn't like that particular subject to be discussed openly."

Thailog frowned. Whoever this companion was, they had to be someone pretty special because, even as a gargoyle, Thailog would find it incredibly difficult to bypass Xanatos' home security, and here was a simple human boy, planning to do just that.

'Guess we'll see just how good he is tomorrow then,' he thought and followed the Venes out.

0000000000

**Penthouse Apartments; **

**Half an Hour Later:**

The thief known as Lightning inserted the card key into his apartment and entered.

The apartment was one of the most expensive ones that money could buy; equipped with the most modern of conveniences, and decorative styles from silk curtains to Ming ornaments.

"Sash?" he called out quietly.

A woman's voice answered him. "In the den. Don't worry. The prize is out for the night."

Lightning sighed, as he took off his coat, draped it on the hat stand and walked over to the living room.

"Got another job on this week," he said, as he sat down beside her.

A young woman, around his age, looked up from the fashion magazine that she was reading. She was a white woman, dressed in Goth fashion, with black leather trousers and a red t-shirt, with large crucifix-shaped earrings, multiple scorpion and hawk pendants around her neck, nose pierced and heavy dark eye make-up. Her hair was pitch black with purple highlights in it.

"Another one, huh?" she enquired. "Gonna make up for the last one you bodged up?"

Lightning sneered at her. "I didn't bodge it up, as you say. I just refused to take it."

Sash sighed. "You're never gonna make it far in this business with that attitude, B. Make me a drink while you're up, kay?"

"You know my policy," he reminded her, as he got up and poured a couple of Martinis. "The way I do things."

"Yeah, yeah," Sash accepted the drink from him, gulping it down in one go. "You only rob certain dignified people."

"Damn right!"

Sash scoffed, taking Lightning's own drink and gulping that one down too. "How you ever manage to stay on top is beyond me. I doubt there are that many clients who'd want to hire a thief with a conscience."

Lightning shrugged. "Just lucky, I guess."

"So who's the unlucky guy you gotta rob then?" Sash leaned back on the settee suite, relaxing.

"An old client," Lightning replied, "someone I once robbed. One of the first jobs I ever did too."

Sash opened one eye at him. "Bit risky, isn't that? Robbing someone you've already robbed. I mean, I doubt they were pleased with you the last time you did it, but this time, they'll be shitting their pants and bringing out the big guns."

"Don't remind me," Lightning frowned a little. "But you know me, I like a challenge."

Sash shrugged. "Oh well, your funeral. Just make sure you leave plenty of dough for me."

"I always do," Lightning sneered. "And once again, your concern for my safety is well appreciated." He got up and walked over to one of the rooms.

Sash eyed him curiously. "What'd I say?"

0000000000

**Eyrie Building; Three Days Later: **

The child-turned demon snarled and spat at its viewers, as it paced along its cell, its multiple eyes never leaving them alone.

"Kinda freaky, huh?" Lex said, shivering slightly as one of the eyes blinked at him.

"You're not kidding," Brooklyn said, never taking his eyes off it. He and Lex had been chosen for guard duty of the demon kid, until it apparently wore off and the girl reverted to normal… if normal was the right word.

It had been three days now since the innocent looking human girl, had transformed into a hideous demon creature, which could kill them all if it wanted, as it could foresee all that they were going to do in the near and far future.

"Geez," Lex breathed. "Imagine what that poor kid's been through? Getting snatched away from her folks by a family of deranged wizards, getting turned into a demon and forced to stay their prisoner for centuries, and never growing up."

"Talk about your messed up childhoods," Brooklyn agreed.

"Guys!" Angela's voice sounded, as she came through the doors to the cells.

"Hey, Angela. What's up?" Brooklyn asked.

"Just had a call from the Labyrinth," she reported. "Talon is on his way here."

"Talon?" Lexington asked puzzled. "Should he be up so soon?"

"Not really," Angela confirmed, "but apparently, according to Maggie, he won't sit still for a minute. He's constantly telling the doctor, who Xanatos assigned to the Labyrinth, to get off his case and leave him be. Anyway, he's coming here for any news on Elisa."

"How is she by the way?" Both Lex and Brooklyn asked urgently.

Angela held up her hand-claw. "She's fine, she's on her way over too. Her fingers are all still in tact, the snake-demon's poison has apparently run its course and she's no longer hallucinating. Her hand is badly scarred, but other than that, the doctor says she's made a miraculous recovery."

"That's a relief," Brooklyn sighed thankfully, Lex following his example.

"Elisa said she'd go mad again if she had to stay and eat that damn hospital food anymore," Angela laughed.

All three of them laughed. Apparently, stubbornness ran in Elisa's family.

"How's the girl?" Angela suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Lexington asked puzzled, before realising she meant the demon. He could never get used to the demon and the sweet little girl being one in the same being. "Oh, she's fine… Well, at least she's not sick or hurt or anything, but she's still not…"

Before he could finish what he was about to say, a chorus of loud roars and hissing came from the cell that which they were guarding. The trio turned and stared at the demon, as it writhed about on the floor, as though in pain. As they continued to stare, they noticed some of its eyes were finally beginning to close up and shrink back into the girl's body. As the seconds ticked by, more and more of its eyes did the same and the demon was finally beginning to look more human again.

"Oooooohhhhhhh!" the creature moaned, as the last of its eyes sealed and vanished beneath its skin, which changed from dark purple to an ordinary human colour hue.

By the time that the next minute had past, Sarah Vene or Sarah Michelle Foster, as that was her real name, was once more kneeling before them.

"I'm guessing her temper tantrum is over?" Brooklyn said conversationally.

Angela didn't waste any time. She unlocked the cell door and rushed in.

"Hey, Angela!" Lexington cried out concerned. "Are you nuts? She could still be dangerous!"

Angela spared him a glance and then looked back on the young girl, shivering on the floor. "Look at her, Lex," she told him. "Can you just stand there idly by, and not do anything to help this girl?"

Without waiting for a response, she went on, grabbing a blanket from the bed and covering it over the naked girl, who was crying slightly.

"It's alright," she tried to soothe the disturbed child, who was twice her age. She picked her up and held her close to herself, rocking her slightly in her lap.

After a few moments, the girl quietened down and looked up at her minder.

"You're nice," Sarah simply said. "You'll make a fine mother someday, with your mate, Broadway, by your side."

Angela blinked. "How did you know my mate was…?" She stopped at the girl's grinning face.

Sarah tapped her forehead. "Oracle, remember?" she said.

"Oh."

_Angela? Brooklyn? Lexington? _Owen's crisp voice sounded through the intercom. _How's our guest? _

Angela looked up at nothing, having never quite gotten used to the technology of the 20th century. "She's a little shaky, but seems okay." She answered.

"I'll be okay in just a minute," Sarah said. "I go through this all the time."

_Incidentally, _Owen's voice continued. _Detective Maza has just appeared at reception, and is making her way up to the Eyrie now. _

"Aw, brill!" Brooklyn quickly made his way out of the cell-room and headed to the Great Hall, with Lex close on his heels.

Angela watched them go for a few moments, before sighing and asking Sarah, "So, are you hungry?"

0000000000

**Outside The Eyrie: **

Bill Goodman, the security guard, looked up as Detective Elisa Maza arrived at his desk. He remembered when he had first seen the detective a few years ago when that rival company, or whoever they had been, had attacked the Eyrie. She had had a lot of spunk, and still did apparently.

He found it odd that she was spending so much time at Xanatos Enterprises recently. He remembered when the only time she had ever come round was when she wanted to interrogate Xanatos.

Bill knew that Xanatos and Maza had a lot of secrets, as most CEOs and detectives did, but he didn't pry into them. Xanatos paid him more than the average wage, so he didn't want to risk losing his job. And he definitely didn't want to risk getting into trouble with the police.

"Good evening, miss Maza," he greeted her warmly. "I heard you were in an accident. How are you?"

Elisa showed him her bandaged hand. "As well as can be expected, I suppose," she replied and moved past him, up to Xanatos's private elevator.

Bill shrugged. 'Must have been one hell of a big rat that did that,' he thought. He was about to go back to his magazine when he noticed one of the security guards making his way to the same elevator as miss Maza.

He squinted his eyes at the young guard. "Hang on, mate," he paused the young man. "You're not Jerry, what's happened with him?"

The youngster shrugged. "Off sick," he replied. "Some kind of virus. They didn't have anyone to cover his shift, so they got me at the last minute."

Bill frowned. "I wasn't informed about this. Let me see your ID card."

"Certainly," the young man reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the Xanatos Enterprises ID badges.

Bill inspected the card suspiciously, but it seemed legitimate. "Okay," he finally replied. "Carry on with your duties. I'll call the main office and confirm this with them."

"No problem," the young Asian coloured man said, and went on his way, this time away from the private elevator.

0000000000

Meanwhile, Elisa rode the elevator to the top of the Eyrie, as she departed from the lift; she was immediately greeted by a host of friendly smiles and huge cheers.

"Elisa! Thank God you're safe."

"How're ya, lass?"

"How's your hand?"

"Did they feed you well at the hospital?"

Elisa smiled happily at her adoptive family. "Guys, I'm fine," she assured them. "Doc says my hand will be good as new in a while. Oh and you'll be happy to know that I'm no longer talking crazy and shouting obscenities at the wall anymore."

They all laughed and each of them hugged their clan sister close to them.

"Where's Goliath?" she asked.

"Right here," a voice, deeper and sweeter than any other she could think of, reached her ears and the clan pulled back to let their massive leader walk through.

Goliath took one look at his mate and gathered her into his arms, embracing her to the point where he was almost choking her.

"You are well now, aren't you?" he asked concerned.

Elisa pulled her head back from his masculine chest and looked up at him. "I'm fine," she said assuredly. "The doc was worried when I acted crazy, shouting at things that weren't there, but he just put it off to shock and nothing else. Good thing too, as I would hate to have to explain to him that it was the bite of a demon snake that was making me mad."

Goliath smiled, and kissed her deeply.

Suddenly, the doors to the courtyard were pushed open and the whole clan turned around to view their visitor.

When Elisa looked, she wanted to cry out. It was her brother, Derek, aka Talon, but not as she knew him. He was covered with multiple wounds over his mutated body, small patches of bald skin where the Adroanzi had bitten him, scratches and such, but the most outstanding feature of all, was the fact that he now had only one eye.

Where his left eye should have been, only a black eye-patch now covered it. He seemed to still be in a great deal of pain, as he had to limp across the floor.

"Elisa," he croaked, as he smiled at his sister. "Glad to see you're doing okay."

"Oh, Derek," Elisa's eyes filled with tears, as she rushed to her brother, holding him as she had done when they were children. "What did those bastards do to you?"

Talon winced a bit, as Elisa hugged him, causing sharp needles of pain through his injuries. "I'm fine," he lied. "Not much better than Claw. That snake, whatever it was, really did a number on him."

Elisa took his face in her good hand. "Oh God," she winced. "Your eye," she simply said.

Talon took his sister's hand in his own massive velvet covered one. "It's okay, sis," he said comforting. "It doesn't hurt no more, and I'll adapt. Plus, now it looks like Hudson and I have something in common."

A tear escaped Elisa's right eye, but she couldn't help but smile. Just as she was about to respond, the Eyrie Building's alarm system sounded off.

"God damn it, now what?" Brooklyn all but screamed.

0000000000

Downstairs, Bill Goodman was going to ring up the main office to ask about the new security guard, when he found that his phone was sounding nothing, but static.

"What the…?" he said confused. He hung up the phone and tried again, but all he was getting was what sounded like an electrical storm on the other end.

"Darn it," he swore. "What's a guy to do to get a descent sounding phone at his desk?"

Fortunately, Xanatos Enterprises was always prepared for such situations, and had a private phone installed underneath his desk He reached in and dialled the main office number.

"Sam?" he asked when someone answered. "It's me, Bill. I got me a new security guard here, says Jerry's off ill and he was sent to fill in. Can you verify that?"

He went quiet, as Sam replied. When he was done, Bill slammed the phone down, opened his desk draw and punched a red button that was inside, sounding an alarm through the building.

"Code red!" he shouted into his radio transmitter on his shoulder. "We have an intruder!"

Like all Xanatos employees, he had been briefed that in the event of any possible intruder/stranger found on the premises, they were to immediately sound the alarm and take all precautions to contain and capture the spy. He found it a bit paranoid, but he guessed that with all the company's resources, they had a right to be.

He activated the security cameras, but to his surprise, he found nothing but static on them as well, just like his phone.

"Damn rat must've short-circuited' em!" he swore.

0000000000

Owen walked calmly into the Great Hall, just as he was bombarded with a million questions from each of the clan.

"What's going on, Owen?" Goliath all but roared, obviously fearing that the Venes were once again attacking.

"We have an intruder in the building," Owen informed them. "So far, he has taken out what seems to be all the electrical equipment on the first three floors. We are in the middle of tracking him somewhere in the building."

"All of the equipment?" Lex said, a little astonished. "How'd he manage to do that?"

"We're unsure at the moment," Owen replied. "He may have hacked into the building's computer controlled systems, but we're not certain."

0000000000

**Inside The Elevator-shaft: **

Lightning grunted, as he leapt from one side of the elevator shaft to the other.

'If I had known that becoming a thief would mean jumping through elevators,' he thought, slightly out of breath. 'I would have had a complete rethink and taken up work as a gardener.'

He leapt onto the rope, scurrying up the cable like a rat, before jumping once more onto one of the sides and leaping all the way up. The way he moved was so fast, that it was almost unnatural.

As he scurried up the shaft, he felt the vibrations of electricity from up above.

'Geez, this place is built like Fort Knox,' he thought, as he halted for a moment on the cable. He placed his hand on the wall; feeling around for a few seconds before he found what he was looking for, an electrical wire. He placed his hand over the wire, concentrating, and sent an electrical burst of his own through the circuits, up to the next floor.

Lightning smiled, as he felt the humming of the electricity he had felt just moments ago, die straight away. Taking down the security cameras and anything else associated with electricity, was the easy part, but he had a feeling that that wasn't going to be the end of Xanatos's security measures.

He continued making his way up the shaft.

0000000000

"We've just lost all the cameras on floor twelve," Owen reported.

"Twelve?" Xanatos asked, a little surprised. "He's on floor twelve already?"

"Apparently, sir," Owen replied. "Or at least, he has reached a place where he is able to take down the cameras. However, as you no doubt recall, we had each of the security systems on each floor, fitted with their own private power source, should an event such as this take place. Any thief would find it necessary to take down the cameras on each floor rather than disable all of them at the same time."

"Not for this one, apparently," Xanatos half-joked. "Have you managed to get a fix on him yet?"

Owen shook his head. "No," he said almost regretfully. "For some reason, our scans are finding it difficult to locate him. All that we are getting is static."

"Static?" Xanatos suddenly asked, interested.

"Yes, sir." Owen confirmed.

"Hmmm, interesting," Xanatos said, as stroked his goatee. "Owen, have all our men report to every station on every floor. I want no slip-ups and no chance for the thief to either escape, or to get what he's come for."

"Yes, sir," Owen immediately began contacting every security officer in the building.

0000000000

Lightning reached the elevator doors to floor eighteen. He decided not to bother continuing up the shaft, as they would probably realise soon that he was using it to go through the floors.

He jumped onto the small ledge to the doors, and began prying his fingers into the crack of the lift, forcing it to open.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Lightning couldn't help but smile. Here he was, facing an almost impossible task, and he still couldn't decide on which of Xanatos's priceless items to steal.

'Maybe some disks with weapon info will be enough?' he thought, as the lift doors finally started to open.

"HOLD IT!" a loud voice greeted him, as he opened the doors.

'Rats.' He thought, as he looked before him and saw a small army of building security, with all of their weapons targeting him.

"Is this the sporting good's department?" he asked casually.

One of the men smirked. "Hands up, son." He ordered.

"Gladly," Lightning replied and did as the guard instructed. "Just tell me one thing?"

"What?"

"What's your hair like, under that helmet?"

The guards looked at him, puzzled. "Why'd you ask?"

Before the guard could blink, Lightning dropped to the floor and slammed his fingers into it, as a loud crackling sound could be heard through the whole corridor, as tendrils of electricity flashed all through the floor.

The guards screamed, as they dropped their weapons and their whole bodies convulsed, before dropping themselves to the floor.

"Because whatever they were like before," Lightning answered the guard's question. "Chances are, you're all looking like punks now."

A few of the men remained barely conscious, and struggled to stand whilst aiming their guns at him. Lightning swerved and high-kicked the guns out of their hands before they even had a chance to pull the triggers.

"I must say I'm disappointed," Lightning said, as he finished off the final guard. "I would have thought that Xanatos would have better security than this."

No sooner had he said that, a voice replied, _No sooner said than done, young man. _

"Huh?" Lightning looked up.

Before he could look for where the sound had come from, a red laser shot out from the ceiling, almost cutting him in half.

"Yeow!" Lightning jumped and landed nearby. "When will I learn to keep my big mouth shut?"

More lasers starting shooting down on him, but for some reason they seemed to ignore the unconscious guards.

"Hmmm," Lightning thought, but kept his attention on avoiding the lasers. With each shot, Lightning sprang, leapt, ran and swung his body avoiding each beam.

"Remind me again why I took this job?" he said to himself.

As he dodged another beam, he grabbed one of the guard's helmets and threw it at one of the cameras where the beams were coming from. The camera shattered under the impact, but all the others continued their attack.

Lighting ran through the floor, dodging each beam, aiming for the window.

"This is what I get for cutting gym class!" he cried, before diving at the window, shattering it and falling through.

The lasers continued blasting one beam after another, but thankfully by the time he flew through the window, he was out of their range.

'Okay,' he thought breathlessly, as he clung to the window frame for dear life. "One, they have the usual security ID badges. Two, they have emergency communications with separate power sources. Three, they have some crazy advanced weapons. And four, they have hidden lasers ready to blow your head off at any moment, but which don't aim for their own men. Man, I gotta write this down once I get home!"

He pressed his legs on the glass and kicked his body, flipping himself high up, crashing into the window up above, on the next floor.

"HA!" he laughed. "Let's see Jackie Chan do that!"

A chorus of trigger clicks reached his ears, as he looked up and saw once again, a troop of guards ready to welcome him.

"Aww, man!" he cursed.

0000000000

"What is going on here?" Goliath bellowed.

Elisa was still inspecting Talon's lost eye, winging as she observed the multiple scars along his once velvet covered skin. "Be patient, Goliath," she said, trying to soothe her husband. "Owen said he and Xanatos were taking care of it. It's not the Venes, so we don't have to worry. It's probably just some would-be burglar trying to make a few million, so Xanatos' forces are more than capable of handling it."

Just then, Owen came through the doors.

"Goliath?" he addressed the clan leader. "I fear we are going to need your assistance."

Goliath turned and gave his wife a sideways glance.

"Oh," Elisa remarked. "Like you've never been wrong?"

0000000000

Lightning crouched on the floor, eyeing all his possible escapes, not that there were many. The guards had blocked all the doors, and he couldn't get out the way he came in.

"Is this a bad time to ask where the exit is?" he asked.

The guards didn't waste any time this time and opened fire. Lightning barely had enough time to leap out of the way before their lasers left a crispy burnt floor where he had been standing.

"You know, there ought to be a law against those things!" he yelped, as another barrage was directed his way.

Lightning lived up to his name and returned fire, bolts of electricity bringing down several at once.

The men sought cover, but practically none were safe as wave after wave of energy blasts went sailing over their heads, striking them down. Some of the men managed to avoid Lightning's blasts and attempted to creep up and take the young mutate by surprise.

Lightning however, felt the energy in their bodies, as they neared him, and soon made short work of them. However, that didn't help him with the other guards who were on their way to his position, as he heard one of the men calling for reinforcements.

"Damn it!" he swore and added mentally. 'No way I'll be able to keep this up all night.'

He then looked at the three last men left standing. Saving his energy, he quickly finished them off by simply striking them in the face and the back of their necks, knocking them unconscious.

He prepared to make his way back to the elevator, picking up where he left off, but then stopped.

'Hmmm,' he thought.

0000000000

"Brooklyn, Broadway," Goliath ordered. "Go down to the lower levels and keep an eye out for the intruder. Hudson, you and Bronx go to the cells and watch over miss Sarah. Lexington, go to the security videos and inform us of any and everything that you find. Angela, you and I will remain with Elisa and protect the castle."

The clan did as they were instructed and disembarked.

"Goliath?" Elisa began.

"This maybe just a thief, as you said, my Elisa. But we cannot be certain; for all we know it might be another trick of the Venes. Therefore, we must take every precaution."

Elisa nodded. "Very well." She then turned to Owen. "Owen, what do you have on the intruder? What's he look like, is he anyone we know, or anything?"

Owen shook his head. "No one we know, or at least… as far as I know."

"Meaning?"

Owen's face frowned a little. "I cannot be certain," he replied, "but I got the distinct impression that mister Xanatos seems to know the young thief."

"Young thief?" Elisa wondered out loud. "How old is the intruder?"

"Security who encountered him," Owen reported, "says that he looked to be in his late teens, or early twenties at least."

"Then he's no more than a child," Goliath said astonished.

"People grow up a lot faster now than they usually did," Elisa said silently. When Goliath looked at her curiously, she continued. "What else can you tell us, Owen?"

"He appears to have extraordinary agility," Owen continued. "He was able to leap up through several floors, in the elevator shaft. He's engaged a team of our men on two occasions now, and managed to subdue them quite thoroughly. Though, he only seemed to engage them in hand to hand combat, once."

"Once?" Goliath enquired.

Owen nodded. "It appears he possesses an ability similar to that of the Mutates. He electrified the guards and subdued them. The ones who remained standing, he finished off with a few kicks to the head."

"So he's a Mutate!" Goliath affirmed.

"Perhaps," Owen responded. "Though we don't have any record of any such Mutate in our files. Aside from Talon and his clan, there aren't supposed to be any other Mutates that we're not aware of."

"Unless he's not a Mutate then?" Goliath wondered. "He could be what I originally suggested, another one of the Vene's spies or supernatural creatures, sent to attack us?"

"Possibly," Owen agreed. "There was one incident during the attack he made on our security guards."

"What?" Elisa asked.

"When they cornered the youngster, the first time," Owen explained, "he managed to subdue them by electrifying the whole room by sending his energy through the floor."

Elisa shrugged. "What's so weird about that?" she asked. "Talon and the other Mutates have done that on more than one occasion. They just send their electrical powers through whatever metal is in the floor, like the steel rods in reinforced concrete."

Owen nodded. "True, however… The particular floor level that they were on at the time was not built with reinforced concrete. It was just simple concrete and plastic tiles, with no metal whatsoever in them. Yet he was somehow able to channel his electrical energy through it and fry most of our men."

Elisa blinked. "But… Now, I'm no scientist, but even I know that that isn't possible. Plastic doesn't channel electricity like that."

"Which means," Owen concluded, "that whatever energy, this youngster is using, isn't electricity, but something very similar."

"Can't you just morph into Puck and stop him?" Goliath said exasperated.

Owen shook his head. "Unless he makes a direct attempt at either harming young Alexander, or doing something that will cause harm to him, then my hands are tied."

Goliath sighed. "You said Xanatos knows who this intruder is?"

Owen cocked his head. "I said I had the impression that he knew him, but I can't be certain. Mister Xanatos knows a lot of… unsavoury people, to say the least."

"Nevertheless," Goliath started making his way to Xanatos's office. "He's the only lead we have at the moment. I suggest we go ask him a few questions."

"As you wish," Owen followed him, together with Elisa.

0000000000

"Sir, we've received no word from security." One of the guards reported to his commanding officer. "However, there has been a lot of static on the com. It's possible that the intruder is somehow blocking our transmissions."

His commanding officer swore something incoherent. "Nothing about this man surprises me anymore. Guy wasted not one, but two of our teams. Made his way up through half the building, and moves like a demon!" He moaned and rubbed his forehead. "Report to security and see if they've found anything."

"Yes, sir!" The guard saluted and left.

A few of the reinforcements came by, with the injured men in their arms.

"Have them sent to sickbay," the commander ordered. "Then report back immediately. This kid, whoever he is, is slippery as an eel and cunning as a snake. Don't take any chances!"

The group nodded and made their way to the elevator.

"Good thing they got the lifts working again," one of them said. "I'd hate to have to walk all the way down them stairs."

A few of them chuckled, as they entered the lift and one of them pressed the button for the fourth floor, with the infirmary.

"Nah, take the one on the top floor," one of the injured party said. "It's closer."

Before they could even look surprised, a spark of blue energy filled the lift, but only seemed to touch them and nothing else. Their hairs lifted up on ends, and a second later, they were all down for the count, unconscious.

The seemingly injured soldier, of Xanatos's private little army, got up from the floor and dusted himself off. He removed his helmet and looked about at the fallen crew.

"Wherever Xanatos got these guys from, he should send them back for retraining," Lightning said, as he pushed the button to the top floor and waited. "I've known security in toy stores who are more observing than these dopes."

0000000000

Xanatos studied the video screens from his security cameras that were still operational. So far, the intruder had yet to reappear.

Just then, the doors to his office burst open, and Goliath strode right in, his eyes looking menacing.

"Xanatos!" Goliath demanded. "Give me a straight answer, right now! Do you, or do you not know who this intruder is?"

Xanatos cocked an eyebrow. "You certainly don't waste any time, do you?" he remarked.

Goliath roared and slammed his fist on Xanatos's desk, wrecking the table until there was nothing left, but splinters. "Answer me!" he bellowed.

Xanatos sighed. "Very well, but only because I don't want anymore of my furniture destroyed." He said, as he got up, but never took his eyes away from the video screens.

"Keep in mind," Xanatos continued. "I don't know for certain that it is the same man, whom I am acquainted with, but all this," he pointed to the screen, as it showed pictures of his obliterated corridors, "certainly seems like his style."

"Who is he?" Elisa asked, her arms crossed.

Xanatos sighed again, and began. "Do you recall when I… donated, and reclaimed the Eye of Odin?"

Goliath snorted. "You mean when you had the whole city believe that my clan and I were all thieves and had stolen back the precious artefact that you so diligently offered to the museum?"

Xanatos smiled. "Yes, that." He replied simply. "Do you also recall, detective, when I retrieved my property from the museum?"

Elisa nodded. "Of course. How could I forget? It was the first night that Matt and I were partnered. We got a call saying that the museum was being robbed, we went to investigate and got there just in time to see you or one of your robots come flying through the window and making off with the gem."

Xanatos smiled humourlessly. "Close, but not quite." Xanatos seemed almost uncomfortable, as the three, Goliath, Elisa and Owen, observed. He walked around the office a little while, before settling back into his chair.

"I arrived at the museum, in my robot suit, prepared to steal back the Eye," Xanatos continued. "I made it to the room where it was being kept, and had to knock out one of the guards who came in and found me. Everything was going all right, when… " He paused.

Owen seemed almost confused as well. "Forgive me, mister Xanatos, but… as I remember, when you returned that night, you seemed rather pleased with yourself about retrieving Odin's lost eye."

Xanatos half-smiled. "Ah, but do you remember ever actually _seeing_ the eye on me, when I came back?"

Owen raised his left eyebrow. "Actually, now that you mention it… No." Owen seemed confused now himself, which was a rather unusual trait for him. "I just assumed you had it in one of your armours compartments."

"I wish," Xanatos muttered. "As I said, everything was going all right up until I knocked that guard out. After I dealt with him, I broke the eye out of its glass cabinet, went out into the corridor, prepared to leave through one of then windows… Next thing I know, some kind of energy blasted right into me and I was thrown off my feet! I was only dazed for less than a few seconds, but when I came to, the eye was gone from my hand and there was some kid, standing right in front of me, with it in his hand."

"A kid?" Elisa said amazed.

Xanatos nodded. "Couldn't have been no more than in his mid-teens. I didn't get a good look at his face, as he had it covered, but his voice sounded quite young."

"What was he doing there?" Goliath interjected.

"Same thing as me apparently," Xanatos answered. "He was after the Eye, strictly for profit, nothing else. I didn't think he would be much of a problem, as I was dressed in the best weapon that money could buy, and had years of experience on my side… " Xanatos began to look even more uncomfortable. "The little thief took me down in less than a few strokes! He knocked me straight down on my robotic tail, in one punch and two kicks. Though, by my point of view, that little energy trick of his was an unfair advantage."

"What happened then?" Goliath pressed on.

Xanatos grumbled a little. "Well, I was shocked to say the least when he knocked me down, but I certainly wasn't going to stand for it." He pressed a few buttons, checking out the other video cameras. "I attempted to get the eye back from him, but… Honestly, it was like fighting Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, at the same time. The kid had more moves in him than either of those would-be fighters. We fought for about a few minutes, until the kid landed a high-kick at my head and managed to dislodge my helmet. Once he got a good look at my face, he recognised me and laughed. But before I could ask him what was so funny, he kicked me again and ran off. I would have given chase, but that was when you arrived, detective. I had no choice, but to escape."

"How did you get the eye back?" Elisa asked.

"The boy, or Lightning as he called himself, contacted me the day after," Xanatos replied. "He was willing to sell me back the eye, as he realised that it was invaluable to me, considering I was willing to steal it back." He snorted a little. "I had to pay twice what the eye was worth, but he gave it me back. He posted the eye to me the next day, once I sent him the money."

"How did you pay?" Elisa asked interested.

"In unmarked cash," Xanatos sighed. "The kid may have been young, but he was smart. He thought of every detail and made sure that I wouldn't be able to trace him. I never saw him again, but after what happened with the eye, I used every bit of my resources to find out anything I could about him."

"And did you?"

Xanatos shrugged. "I have an idea, but I'm not certain." Xanatos looked little uncomfortable again, which was most unlike him. "I have reason to believe that Lightning may be the end result of an experiment conducted by our old friend, Sevarius."

"Sevarius!" Elisa's eyes flared. "So this guy was another one of your mutate victims?"

"Possibly," Xanatos sighed, and still looked uncomfortable. "But it's a little more complicated than that, detective. You see, Lightning, whoever he originally was, was part of the original Metamorphosis project that turned your brother Derek and the others into mutates."

Elisa's eyes looked like daggers, as they glared at Xanatos. Goliath saw the look and touched her shoulder to help calm her.

"He was part of the Metamorphosis project?" Goliath asked confused. "But I think we would have found out by now from security if he was anything like the other mutates. He does have similar energy powers like they, but they haven't mentioned if he resembles anything like a cat."

Xanatos shook his head. "I said he was part of the project, but I didn't say he was the end result."

"Pardon?" Goliath cocked his head at him.

Xanatos took a deep breath. "Before Sevarius perfected the mutation formula, he had to run it through several stages, ironing out all the different mutant transformations that Derek and the others would eventually go through." He paused at their confused looks. "In other words, he did one small thing at a time." He continued. "First, he had to find a way to give someone the enhanced abilities of strength, speed and agility, like a jungle cat. Before introducing the genes of a cat, he attempted to enhance the senses simply by enhancing the human genes through genetic drugs. Unfortunately, the results were… unstable."

"What do you mean?"

Xanatos looked down for a moment. "I should point out that I didn't know what Sevarius was doing. Yes, I told him to use any means necessary, but I was still unaware… "

"What did he do?" Elisa demanded.

Xanatos sighed again. "The enhancements that Sevarius made to the… volunteers, seemed to work at first. They were given extraordinary strength and such, similar to that of any animal. But as a result, their genetic cell structures were severely damaged. Sevarius predicted that none of them had more than a few months to live, at most."

The room was so silent that anyone could hear a pin from being dropped across the room.

"Volunteers?" Elisa asked quietly.

Xanatos nodded. "Sevarius recruited several people from the street, most of them homeless, to act as his guinea pigs for his experiments. They were paid handsomely for their services and given more than adequate accommodation."

"You mean for the time that they had left?" Elisa roared at him, and would have charged if Goliath hadn't been holding her back. "You let Sevarius take innocent people off the street, poison their DNA, and kill them, all so you could play God!"

"I didn't know about the extra people he was taking on," Xanatos insisted.

"But you told him to do whatever was necessary!" Elisa shot back. "And besides, even if you did know what was happening… Would you have stopped it?"

Xanatos was silent. "I… I… I don't know." He said unsure.

Goliath's eyes were close to murder, as he too glared at Xanatos, but he remained silent, until finally he said. "Xanatos? How do we stop this man? Is he here for revenge?"

Xanatos shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine," he admitted. "But somehow, I don't think so. If revenge were what he was after, he would have come for me long ago. No, I have the distinct impression that what he's doing tonight is strictly for profit, and nothing else."

Elisa suddenly thought of something. "Wait a minute, Xanatos. You said Sevarius told you that the volunteers who he experimented on, only had a few months to live, right?"

At Xanatos's nod, she continued. "But Derek and the others have been mutates now for almost a couple of years. How is it that this kid is still alive then?"

Xanatos frowned. "I honestly don't know. Sevarius, for all his faults, has never made a mistake when his research is involved."

Goliath growled and thumped his fist into his claw. "Then let us ask this 'Lightning' and find out!"

0000000000

Sarah remained sitting on the floor, once more playing with her paper and crayons, drawing whatever came to her mind.

Angela was sitting in the cell with her, looking in interest at her art.

Suddenly, Sarah stopped drawing and looked up, her eyes wide and a blank expression on her face.

"Sarah?" Angela asked her, concerned.

"He has come," she replied and dropped the crayon in her hand.

"Who?" Angela asked, confused.

"The lost one, the one who lets darkness rule his life and those of his loved ones. The one who will never know peace until he accepts defeat, gives in to those who care for him, and stands up to the darkness." Sarah remained silent for a few moments longer, and then she picked up her fallen crayon and continued where she had left off at her drawing.

0000000000

Lightning poked his head out of the elevator, ensuring that no one was in the hall. He had finally reached the castle, the highest floor of the Eyrie Building.

"Nice place," he murmured. "Sure brings my place to shame."

"Glad you like it," a voice suddenly sounded from above him.

Lightning looked up in surprise, just in time to meet a small green gargoyle, as it came crashing down on him, its eyes blazing like the sun.

Lightning barely had enough time before he sprang from the elevator doorway, flipping out of the gargoyle's path, and landing on the other side of the hall.

"So the rumours were true then," he speculated out loud, "there are gargoyles living here."

"And the prize to announcer of the most obvious, goes to…!" Lex sneered at him.

Lightning glared at him. "Hey! Do I insult you?" he retorted and back-flipped over to the table at the fireplace, grabbing one of the swords that were hanging over it.

Lexington roared and rushed after his enemy. Ignoring the fact that his enemy now had a weapon, he leaped toward the table, aiming to push it over and distract the intruder.

Unfortunately, Lightning saw his approach and guessed his intention, well in hand. He leaped from the table, just as Lex approached, and landed right behind him, sword at his back.

"You need to work at your fighting skills, mate." He smirked at the little gargoyle.

Lex growled in frustration, angry at being thwarted by such an obvious move.

"Then how about trying one of mine then?" an angry voice roared from behind Lightning.

"Oh crud!" Lightning swore, then yelped as he was smashed into from behind, and sent tumbling toward the green gargoyle, who met him with a hard and fierce punch, right in the face.

0000000000

Goliath and Elisa were on their way back to the hall, to talk to the clan, when they heard Lexington's roar, together with the sounds of what could only be a battle.

"Now what?" Elisa frowned and ran with Goliath, back to the hall.

When they reached the hall, they found Broadway sitting in the middle of the room, with Lex right beside him, glaring at something on the floor.

When they neared the two of them, they found to their surprise a young man, struggling terribly to get out from beneath Broadway, who was sitting on him.

Elisa blinked. 'First Castaway and now this guy,' she thought. 'If Broadway keeps this up, we may have no more need of the dungeons anymore.'

Goliath, after the momentarily shock, glared at the young man and strode forward, with Elisa at his heals. She couldn't see the youngster's face clearly from this distance, but she could tell that he was quite young. She remembered what Xanatos had told them, informing them on what Sevarius had done to this fellow and others like him, experimenting on them, and then leaving them for dead.

Elisa felt a wave of pity for the poor boy, but she couldn't condone on what he was doing by breaking into the gargoyle's home, and apparently been making a living out of thieving.

As she neared the young boy, she finally got a good look at his face… and she stopped.

Elisa's eyes widened, her breath caught in her throat, as she gazed down at a face she had not seen in years, but knew as clearly as she knew her own.

"Bre… Brent?" she stuttered.

The rest of the clan had meanwhile heard all the commotion and had hurried to the hall to see what was happening. Hudson, Bronx, and Brooklyn came running out, but Angela was still in the dungeons with young Sarah Vene, or Foster as that was her real name.

Brooklyn also blinked at the situation the young thief was in, and stifled a laugh. "Looks like that ass of yours is coming in real handy these days, Broadway," he smirked.

"HEY!" Broadway cried out indignantly.

The intruder however had stopped struggling, realising that he was going nowhere. "No offence, you guys," he said, "but would you mind getting this guy off of me! I'm suffocating here!"

Broadway growled at him. "Not till we get some answers… punk!"

"Broadway," Elisa spoke up, "let him up."

"Huh?" Broadway looked at her confused, along with everyone else.

Lightning paused, as he recognised that voice all too well. He turned his head to the side and soon spotted the older woman in the red jacket coming closer, staring at him.

"Best thief in the business, I hear," Elisa said bitterly. "You always said you wanted to break out of the family business. Looks like you succeeded."

After the momentarily shock, Lightning collected himself and shrugged. "It's a living, Elisa."

Goliath blinked. "How do you her name?" he looked from the boy thief to his wife, and suddenly stopped. He looked at the two again to confirm his suspicions.

The boy was younger and had a thinner face, but the skin tone, hair and eyes… They were just like Elisa's?

"Elisa?" he began hesitantly, but Elisa raised her hand to silence him.

Broadway knew something was up and got off from the intruder, looking at him while he did so. Elisa could tell from the look on his face that he too saw the resemblance between them. Broadway always was the good detective, so Elisa didn't doubt he would soon figure it out.

"Goliath," she sighed. "Broadway, everyone. This is Brent… my brother."

The room was so silent that you could have heard a pin drop on the floor all the way from the other side. The clan all stared at the two Mazas with open jaws and blank expressions.

Lightning, or Brent as that was his real name, gave his sister a blank look. He didn't even seem to care that she was there.

"Elisa," he greeted her politely, but without any true interest. "What you doing here?"

Elisa suddenly just strode right up to Brent, and slapped him round the face.

The clan gasped at Elisa's abruptness, but Brent gave no response and just looked at her coldly.

"Not here on business then?" he asked casually.

Elisa gave him a cold glare. "Where have you been?" she hissed.

Brent returned her cold stare. "Out."

Elisa clenched her fists, looking as though she was getting ready to strike him again, but didn't. Maybe because Brent seemed to be ready for her this time, as his eyes never left her.

Goliath looked at them both, and finally walked forward to his mate. "Elisa," he started unsure. "Elisa,… why didn't you tell me you had another brother?"

Elisa didn't take her eyes off Brent. "Because it's been so long, I'd almost forgotten I had another one."

Brent didn't even flinch. "Really?" he said. "I hadn't given any of you a second thought."

"Brent!" a voice called out.

The clan all looked and saw Talon standing in one of the hallways, staring at the young man.

Brent gave him a curious look, eyeing his eye-patch, his own eyebrow raised. "Who's this?" he asked. "Long John Panther or some… HEY!" he yelled, as Talon had ran forward and drew Brent into a large bear-like hug, almost crushing him in the process.

"Hey!" Brent repeated. "I'm not into this sort of thing, do you mind?"

Talon either didn't hear, or didn't want to hear, as he held what was obviously his little brother, close to him.

Elisa grinned a little at the scene, while everyone was still adjusting to the fact that Elisa had another family member that they hadn't met yet. Talon aka Derek had always been the closest to Brent. He had taken it upon himself to be Brent's protector when he had been born, just as she had been his. He had taken his 'big brother' duties very seriously back then, and apparently still did.

"Derek," she called to her first little brother. "Let him go before you crush him to death."

Brent's eyes widened, as he momentarily paused in his struggling. "Derek?" he exclaimed and then gazed at the panther-man holding him. "You've… _got_ to be kidding me?"

Talon gave him a sheepish smile. "Fraid so, little bro."

Brent's eyes thinned. "Don't call me that!" he said, then placed his feet against his brother's chest and sprang himself from Talon's embrace, landing on the floor in a perfect 3/60.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Brent asked, seemingly forgotten that his brother was a bat-winged mutate cat-man.

Elisa glared at him. "What are _we_ doing here? How about what are _you_ doing here, Brent, Best Thief in all of New York?"

Brent shrugged. "It's a living." He said casually and seemed to be inspecting his nails.

Elisa nostrils flared. "A living?" she would have slapped him again, if Goliath hadn't been there to restrain from rushing over to her brother. "A living?" she repeated. "You call stealing other people's property a living?"

Brent didn't seem too bothered. "Only from those who can afford it, yes."

Elisa felt like throwing up. Here was one of her own family, actually justifying stealing, one of all the crimes she and her family had dedicated themselves to prevent and protect the innocent. It was like blasphemy to her.

Even Derek looked horrified. "Brent… you can't be serious?" he stammered out at his baby brother. "How could you do this? I mean, after everything we taught you, you… "

"Don't bother telling me about what I learnt from you lot!" Brent snapped. "I learnt all about the law, years ago. As far as I'm concerned, the law is a fraud, designed to help the rich and powerful, and no one else!"

Talon looked sadly at his younger sibling, along with Elisa.

"I'm sorry to hear that, little bro," Talon sighed.

"Me too," Elisa replied, a little more hotly. She then looked to the rest of the clan and sighed, "Grab him."

The clan were all still surprised at what was going on, but they understood an order when given one, and Broadway, Brooklyn and Lexington rushed in to seize the youngest Maza.

Unfortunately, this time Brent was ready for them, and leaped out of the way, grabbing the sword that he had lost when Broadway tackled him. Twirling the sword around his head, like the old movie stars did in medieval pictures, he swung the sword and aimed it at Brooklyn's throat, just as he was about to tackle him.

"Try it, Beak-face, and you loose your beak!" he swore. "And you, lard-boy," he pointed at Broadway. "Try suffocating me again, and I'll slice open your fat belly!"

He had almost forgotten about Lexington, but just as Lex was about to pounce on him from behind, Brent stuck out his right hand behind him, and before Lex even had time to blink, a ray of lightning seemed to blast out of his fingers, striking the smallest clan member in the chest.

"Lex!" Broadway cried out, and ran to his rookery brother.

Lex moaned, as he fell to the floor, clutching his heart, as tendrils of what looked like electricity seemed to be curling all over his body. By the time Broadway got to him, the energy seemed to have dissipated.

Broadway glared in rage at the youngest Maza, looking as though he was getting ready to pounce on him.

"Try it!" Brent hissed.

Talon meanwhile had been watching the whole scene unfold in shock. Finding out your brother was a crook was one thing, but seeing him fight even better than the gargoyles was another. Even Elisa seemed shocked at his extraordinary fighting skills.

'What the devil did Sevarius do to him?' she thought in wonder. She then realised that she hadn't told Talon yet about what she'd learnt from Xanatos, and realised he must be way more confused than her.

"Derek?" she whispered to her brother, who just looked blankly at Brent and then her. "I'll explain later." She promised.

Talon blinked. "Has he been working out or something?" he asked.

In spite of the situation, she couldn't help but smile. "Let's just say he's gone through a make over."

Brent hissed at the gargoyles, as they attempted to make a circle around him. His fists glowed bright white, with sparkling energy flowing right out of them. He glared at all of them.

"Brent!" Elisa called to him, and he spared her a glance. "Please, lower your…. Whatever they are. The clan won't harm you, I promise. Trust me."

At her words 'trust me', Brent turned and gave her a cold look. "I did trust you once," he replied sternly. "I trusted all of you, and look where it got me."

Before she could reply, Brent blasted Goliath just as he took another step forward, and launched himself in the air, passing the heads of the clan. As he landed at the point of the corridor, he ran.

"After him!" Goliath ordered.

"Don't hurt him!" Talon yelled and chased after them, despite his bad leg, but Elisa remained where she was.

Elisa remained standing in the same spot for more than ten minutes, as memories from long ago began to resurface in her mind, memories she had tried to bury.

_Help her! Please help her! _A child's voice cried to her, and Elisa felt like weeping.

0000000000

Lightning ran through the corridors, racing to find a way out. Although he had originally nothing to worry about, should he get caught, since all his affairs were taken care of before he embarked on this foolhardy mission, he now had a reason to be scared of.

To him, meeting up again with his family was a thought even more terrifying then the police, or even these Gargoyles.

A door opened up in front of him, and Brent saw a blonde man with glasses step out, holding a small laser gun.

"Halt, sir," he ordered, "and no harm will befall you."

Lightning halted for a moment, sensing something strange about the man in front of him. He pondered this a while, reaching out with his sixth sense, and then smiled.

"Let me guess?" he asked the stranger. "You're one of the Fey, right?"

At the guard's shocked impression, Brent laughed. "I'm taking your stunned impression, as a yes."

Before Owen could reply, Lightning lived up to his name once again, and shot a blast of light from his fingertips, hitting Owen and blasting him into the wall.

Lightning wasted no time, as he knew Fey were quick to recover, and as strong as his powers were, he didn't want to risk going up against a member of a race that was _made_ of pure magic.

Broadway and Brooklyn were soon on his trail, as they reached Owen just as Brent escaped around the corner. They forgot about the thief for a second, and checked to see if the banished Fey was well.

Owen coughed up a little blood, as the young Gargoyles lifted him up.

"I take it you've met our young intruder then?" Brooklyn asked.

Owen coughed again. "Be careful, " he warned. "This intruder is more than just a clever thief, he's… "

"Yeah, we know," Broadway interrupted. "He's not only that, he's also Elisa's brother."

Owen blinked at him. "I was unaware of that, but unfortunately that's not all." He moaned, as he got up. "He seems to possess certain abilities that not even Mr. Xanatos was aware of." He groaned. "He was able to attack me with an energy blast, similar to how the Venes did. This means that not all the abilities he has, are from Sevarius's gene splicing. He also has magic in him."

"Magic?" Brooklyn swore. "Terrific! Just what we need! A master thief with enhanced fighting skills, magic powers, and who isn't even out of school yet!"

"Never mind that!" Broadway said hotly. "Where'd he go, Owen?"

Owen pointed down the direction, in which the young Maza had fled. The two warriors then left him, after making sure he was fine, and sped down the corridor.

Brent meanwhile continued running down the seemingly endless corridor, searching for a way out. He wondered how could one building have so many doors?

He barely made it to the end of the corridor, when he suddenly ran headfirst into a wall of lavender muscle.

"Oof!" Brent groaned, and looked up into the face of what must obviously be the clan leader. "Don't suppose you wanna talk this over?" Brent said hopefully.

Goliath reached down and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Guess not?" Brent deduced.

"Actually," Goliath spoke remarkably calmly. "I do have a number of questions for you, including that of your brother and sister, but also for information on your employers. I already have a good idea of who they are, so you needn't bother with trying to protect them. If you cooperate then we'll go easy on you."

"Sorry," Brent shrugged. "No matter how good the deal you give me, I can't give you any info. Trade secret. Happens in my line of work."

Goliath looked as though he was about to threaten the young thief, but before he could answer… Brent seemed to charge a fair amount of energy through his body, and stunned Goliath.

Goliath roared mostly in surprise, as the shock didn't hurt him that much, but it was enough to stun, and distract him.

Brent slammed his fists down on Goliath's arms, surprisingly hurting him, and broke free of the leader's vice grip.

"Lesson one to three in this game," Brent breathed. "Never relax yourself, don't loose sight of your aim, and _never_ underestimate an opponent!"

Goliath glared at the young upstart. "I understand those lessons perfectly well, lad. I myself learnt them over a thousand years ago!" He roared, and rushed the young Maza.

Brent seemed to roar as well, as he flung himself at the lavender giant, grabbing his head and jabbing his fingers into Goliath's eyes. Goliath roared in pain, and tried to pry the boy off him, but Brent held on fiercely.

"You're fighting a loosing battle, you know that?" Brent hissed into Goliath's ear, as the two of them whirled round the corridor. "Don't you know that no matter what you do, nothing in this world will ever change! For every bad guy you think you nail off the street, he'll either be back on them in a day, or there'll be a hundred more ready to take his place!"

Brent finally took his fingers out of Goliath's eyes, placed them on his shoulders, and flung himself over Goliath's head, and rammed his feet into his back, knocking the wind out of him.

"You may think you're making a difference in the world, Gargoyle," Brent swore at him. "But trust me, it isn't worth it. People will still continue making trouble in the world, and getting away with it! And as for your kind! People will still fear and hate your kind, no matter how many people you save. For despite all your efforts, all your so-called nobility… When people see you, they see a monster, and nothing else."

Goliath growled, as he slowly rose. "That maybe…. But nothing you say will make me believe that there isn't hope! Humanity may still have a long way to go in this world before it can be considered a perfect race, but it has nevertheless come a long way already. Centuries ago, humanity waged war on countless civilisations, selling their people into slavery, just because of the colour of their skin. Since then, your kind learned that slavery, no matter what the race, was wrong, and freed them. But even after then, people of different cultures were not allowed equal rights, but they continued to fight for it! And now, people of different cultures, colour and religion, all co-exist together in this one city with the rights that they worked so hard for. Tell me _that_ isn't progress?"

Brent's eyes narrowed at him. "You don't seriously believe your kind will ever have the same luck, do you?"

Goliath breathed heavily, as his strength slowly came back to him. "Perhaps not overnight, or maybe not in the next century… but it will happen. That much I am certain of. As sure as I am of one day that humanity will learn to control its inner dark urges, and bring peace to all its cities, and right the wrongs it has committed."

Something seemed to spark in Brent's eyes, as Goliath said that.

"Yeah, maybe," Brent hissed. "But how many people do you think will have to suffer and die before then? How many people will be murdered by soulless thugs? How many _children_ must die from the hands of their own parents, because people can't be bothered to help them?"

Brent strode forward. "And how many of your clan will you sacrifice before you finally admit defeat?"

Before Goliath could answer, Brent slammed his hand into Goliath's chest, pummelling the giant down the hall, skidding across the floor.

"Brent!" Talon's voice called out from down the hall, along with the sound of heavy footsteps, coming closer.

Brent wasted no time and hurried away.

Brooklyn and Broadway soon reached up, and found their leader unconsciousness.

"Goliath?" Brooklyn tried to wake him, but their leader seemed to be well and truly out of it this time.

"Brent!" Talon yelled, as he soon reached them. "Where is he?"

Broadway growled. "He'll be in the infirmary before long, I can tell you! In the morgue!"

Broadway didn't wait for anyone, and sped off down the hall once again.

Talon was about to go follow him, but Brooklyn's voice stopped him. "Talon, wait! We have to get Goliath to the infirmary. I don't know how badly hurt he is, but I don't want to take any chances. Please!"

Talon hesitated, his feelings for his brother and his sense of honour clashing, until finally, he sighed and turned back to help his friend.

0000000000

Goliath breathed deeply, as he sat up in the large bed provided by the castle infirmary. Elisa was by his side, her hand resting on his shoulder.

"What happened?" Goliath grumbled.

Elisa sighed. "Brent gave you a cracked rib, knocked you out, and I'm guessing a bad headache?"

Goliath moaned and nursed his aching head. "You guess correctly."

He smiled gently at Elisa, but then turned serious. "Have they caught him, your brother?"

Elisa sighed again and shook her head. "No. Broadway chased after him when they found you unconscious in the hallway, but lost him."

Goliath growled in frustration. "How? There are cameras all over the castle, how could he escape?"

Elisa placed both her hands, including the bandaged one, on him to try and calm him before he sprang up from the bed. "Nobody knows," she explained. "Xanatos looked at the video cameras, to see what happened, but apparently… Brent managed to knock out the surveillance, made them useless. They were only out for a few seconds, but when they came back on, Brent was gone. They've still got security looking all over the place for him. Broadway is particularly pissed, and Talon… Talon is most insistent on finding him."

"As am I," Goliath confirmed.

There was a still silence between them for a few moments, before Goliath looked at his wife, gazing into her dark eyes caringly.

"My Elisa," he began. "I don't wish to intrude on your personal life, but we are married now, so I think I have a right to know… Why didn't you tell me you had another sibling? Who is this Brent? And why does he seem to bear such hatred for you and your family?"

Elisa seemed to loose her calm and cool posture, a look of intense pain briefly crossing her face, as Goliath observed. She looked away for a moment, and stared at the wall, as though looking for an answer.

"I suppose I do owe you and everyone an explanation," she finally replied.

She sighed. "Well, as you may have guessed… Brent is the youngest of my siblings. He is… Damn, he must be nearly 18 now."

"And has he always held such anger towards you and his family?" Goliath asked, wondering why on earth anyone would hate their family so, especially when Elisa was a part of it.

"Oh God, no." Elisa said, looking mildly shocked. "When Brent was little, he loved every one of us, like all kids. Didn't get along too well with Beth and me, but then when do you expect with little brothers and their big sisters." She laughed a little, but continued. "He adored Derek though. Kept following him around all over the place. He used to drive Derek bananas, but Derek never complained. He loved Brent just as much… " Elisa looked down. "He's taking Brent's betrayal the hardest, Talon's barely said a word since Brent escaped."

Goliath didn't say anything. In a way, he knew what Talon was going through, as he had gone through a similar experience when he had first found out that Demona had been the one who betrayed the clan, all those centuries ago.

"So what happened?" he finally asked after a brief pause.

Elisa sighed. "It all started when Brent was about eleven." Elisa seemed to be troubled, as she spoke. "He met this girl in his class, her name was Sally O'Brien. They became good friends after a while, always hung out together… But… " Elisa paused again, looking slightly distressed.

"What?" Goliath asked concerned.

"Goliath… You're not going to like what I'm about to tell you," Elisa said assuredly. "Believe me, I know, because I never liked it. In fact, I absolutely loathed it."

"What?" Goliath asked again.

Elisa swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. "Goliath… Sally was… After Brent met her, after a few months, he discovered that she… She was being abused."

Goliath's eyes narrowed. "Pardon?"

Elisa nodded. "She was being physically abused. There were days, Brent said, when she would come to school, her arms covered in bruises. But whenever anybody asked her what had happened, she would just say that she had fallen down or something."

Goliath snarled. "Who was doing it?" he demanded, enraged at the thought of anyone being so evil as to hurt an innocent child.

Elisa looked down for a minute. "It was… her parents."

"WHAT?" Goliath roared.

Elisa winced. "Well, it was her father anyway. We were never sure about her mother, but there were signs that she may have been abusing Sally in some way too. Brent knew something was wrong with her, the moment he met her, but he didn't want to pry. They were friends for almost half a year, before Brent finally got her to admit what was wrong. The poor girl was so scared what her folks would do to her, if they found out she had told. She didn't want Brent telling anyone, but… But Brent convinced her to let him tell mom and dad. He felt… He was so sure that dad could help her, and get her folks to leave her alone."

Goliath noticed a solitary tear escape Elisa's left eye. Her bandaged hand immediately wiped it away.

"What happened?" Goliath asked, fearing the answer.

Elisa looked him in the eyes, showing the grief in her own. "Dad filed a report, and got Sally's father charged with child abuse. The case went on for about two months, after that they… " She paused again.

"What?" Goliath said again, fearing the answer but also growing impatient.

"Sally's father was a top shot lawyer," Elisa sounded as though she were ashamed of something. "We couldn't get clear proof that he and his wife had been abusing her, so… So they were cleared of any and all charges…"

Goliath's eyes flashed white-silver, his rage fuelled. "They were set free?"

Elisa looked at him in bitter grief. "Yes! Believe me, Goliath, there was no one more enraged than my dad when they got away Scot free with what they did to that poor girl! But that wasn't the worst part!"

"What could be possibly worse than allowing one, possibly two, people to get away with hurting a child?" The second Goliath spoke, he already knew the answer.

Elisa did cry then. "The worse thing than letting a pair of child abusers go free, is when the child they abused is sent to go back with them. That's what's worse!" Elisa covered her face with her bandaged hand, tears erupting from her eyes.

Goliath stared at her in shock. Ever since he and his clan had awakened in this strange new world, Elisa had told them about the new justice that ruled her time. At the time, he once believed that this world was just as savage as the one he had left behind so many centuries ago. Elisa had assured him that that wasn't the case, telling him not to judge the same way that he and his kind had been judged. There were problems in the system to be sure, she had admitted, but she firmly believed in 'the system' as she called it.

'What kind of a system allows a beaten child to go live with a pair of child haters?' Goliath thought amazed.

"Brent never forgave us when they came and took Sally away," Elisa continued. "He had trusted dad to help her… but we were not as well prepared, as we thought we were. We severely underestimated Mr. O'Brien's lawyer techniques, or for him to be so sneaky. Also, we don't know for sure, but we think that he may have been bribing some of the jury, but we could never prove it. He got everyone to believe that his daughter had been making things up, simply for the attention, and that she needed therapy. He got everyone to believe him, and the judge agreed that Sally was just a disturbed child, needing psychiatrist treatment! We couldn't even say goodbye to her, when social services came and dragged Sally back to her parents!"

Goliath was still in shock, at the unfairness of what had happened, what Elisa's clan had done. "What ever happened to this Sally?" he asked.

Elisa closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and looked at him. "When Sally's parents got her back, they said they wanted to leave New York, to begin anew and start out fresh. So they left and moved to somewhere in Washington DC. As I said, Brent never forgave us for letting him down, and even less for letting Sally go back with her family. So he ran away… We knew he must have been trying to head to Washington, to try and save Sally, but… " Elisa's eyes emitted more tears. "About a month after Sally and her family moved, Sally was admitted into hospital with severe trauma to the head, and various other injuries. This time, Sally's folks couldn't lie themselves out of it, and were charged again. This time, they lost the case and were each sentenced to twenty years imprisonment. Of course, by then it was too late. Sally had died from her injuries."

Goliath closed his eyes, breathing heavily. "And Brent?" he asked, starting to understand Elisa's youngest sibling more.

Elisa shook her head. "None of us ever found out what happened to him. We figured he must have found out what happened to Sally, as it was in all the papers. There was a huge scandal when people learnt that Sally's parents had already been charged with abusing her, but nonetheless regained custody of her. In a way, Sally's death enhanced the justice system, making them have zero tolerance to people like her parents."

Goliath just looked at Elisa sadly. "It is a shame that it took the death of a child to make your people realise that." He said simply.

Elisa nodded. "We never found out what happened to Brent, but… It's more or less clear now. He must have been living on the streets, and somehow got involved with Sevarius's research, and offered himself as a guinea pig." Elisa shook her head in disbelief. "I just can't believe he'd do something like that! Brent always knew better than anyone not to get involved with drugs, or illegal testing! What could have possibly gotten him to trust Sevarius of all people?"

Goliath sighed. "Who knows? But at least now you know what has happened to him. It seems likely that we'll cross paths with him again soon, so maybe you'll get your chance to ask your questions."

Elisa chewed on her lower lip. "Perhaps, but somehow, I don't think I'm going to like the answers."

**The End? **


	5. A Child Innocence, Lost: PART 16

_**All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Storyseeker.**_

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**Previously on Gargoyles: -**

_Elisa felt a wave of pity for the poor boy, but she couldn't condone on what he was doing by breaking into the gargoyle's home, and apparently been making a living out of thieving._

_As she neared the young boy, she finally got a good look at his face… and she stopped._

_Elisa's eyes widened, her breath caught in her throat, as she gazed down at a face she had not seen in years, but knew as clearly as she knew her own. _

"_Bre… Brent?" she stuttered._

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_Broadway knew something was up and got off from the intruder, looking at him while he did so. Elisa could tell from the look on his face that he too saw the resemblance between them. Broadway always was the good detective, so Elisa didn't doubt he would soon figure it out._

"_Goliath," she sighed. "Broadway, everyone. This is Brent… my brother_

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_Elisa sighed. "It all started when Brent was about eleven." Elisa seemed to be troubled, as she spoke. "He met this girl in his class, her name was Sally O'Brien. They became good friends after a while, always hung out together… But… " Elisa paused again, looking slightly distressed._

_Elisa swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. "Goliath… Sally was… After Brent met her, after a few months, he discovered that she… She was being abused." _

_Elisa looked down for a minute. "It was… her parents."_

_"Brent never forgave us when they came and took Sally away," Elisa continued. "He had trusted dad to help her… but we were not as well prepared, as we thought we were. We severely underestimated Mr. O'Brien's lawyer techniques, or for him to be so sneaky. Also, we don't know for sure, but we think that he may have been bribing some of the jury, but we could never prove it. He got everyone to believe that his daughter had been making things up, simply for the attention, and that she needed therapy. He got everyone to believe him, and the judge agreed that Sally was just a disturbed child, needing psychiatrist treatment! We couldn't even say goodbye to her, when social services came and dragged Sally back to her parents!"_

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_**And now, the continuation: -**_

**Brent's Apartment: **

Brent, aka Lightning, stomped into his penthouse apartment, flinging his coat on the hat-stand.

"That you, B?" His roommate's voice called out.

"It's a burglar!" he called back.

"Ah, so it is you then," the voice laughed.

Brent didn't smile or laugh this time, as he usually did. "Sash!" he called out. "We need to talk!"

"Gimme a few minutes!" she answered. "Unless you wanna help with the dishes?"

Brent didn't answer, and he heard grumbling coming from the kitchen.

As he walked into the living room, he sat down in his favourite chair, the Lazyboy, and took out a cigarette. Using his fingertip, he lit the cigarette, and took a long puff from it.

"You can run, but you can't hide." He mused quietly. His father had told him long ago that no matter how hard you try, you could never run from your problems for too long. It was good advice, but since his… departure from his family, oh so long ago, he had done his very best to wash out every bit of memory he could of his family, particularly his father.

Brent took another smoke, and as Sash kept busy in the kitchen, he slowly started to remember…

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_**Manhattan; 8 Years Ago: **_

"_Now, Brent," Diane Maza called from her car. "Remember to be home on time today for once. Your grandma is coming to visit for dinner, okay?" _

_Ten-year-old Brent Maza sighed, and gave his mother a forced smile. "Sure, mom! I'll be there!" He then gave her a quick wave, and hurried into school. _

'_I wonder if you can buy steel cheek plates?' he thought, wincing, remembering the last time his grandmother had come to visit. His cheeks were still hurting from where she had pinched them. It wouldn't hurt so much, if only she would just get those damn nails of hers clipped. _

"_Being the youngest sucks." He said to himself. Every time she visited, it was always 'My, Brent how you've grown,' or 'Come here and give your granny a kiss', followed by a skin-piercing pinch on the cheek. _

_Derek and Beth never lost the opportunity to make fun of his dilemma. The fact that he was the youngest, or the baby of the family, as they liked to say, was the reason for his problem. Their gran had done the same to them when they were the youngest, so now it was naturally Brent's turn. _

"_Hey, loser!" a snide voice yelled, pulling Brent from his reverie. _

_The voice wasn't directed at him, but it was close by. He looked up to see a large boy, about 15, together with two others, surrounding a young girl about his age. She had blonde hair, done up in curls, blue eyes, and was wearing a pink dress. _

_He didn't recognise her, so she was obviously not in his class, but he did a double take when he got a better look at her. The girl's face had a split lip, and a black eye. He couldn't tell for sure, but he thought he could see bruises along her arm as well. _

_The older boys stood around her, sneering and poking at her injuries. _

"_What's up?" one of them said. "Missed your appointment at the beauty clinic?" They all laughed. _

_Brent snarled, and ran up to the three bullies. _

"_What's your problem, nigger?" One of the other two lads said, as Brent came between them and the girl. _

"_Nigger and Injun!" the second one said amused. "Didn't you know, this kid's mixed up?" _

_That did it! _

_Brent, like all his siblings, had been taught not to let the words of others antagonise him so, but patience had never been his strong suit. _

_Brent jumped up, and landed a solid kick to the first bully's groin, like his sister Elisa had shown him, from her first defence lesson at the police academy. The boy winced, as the air left his lungs, while the other two just looked flabbergasted at the young kid. _

"_Hey!" The second one yelled. "Who the hell do you think you are, Indiana Jones?" _

"_Someone with a higher IQ than you'll ever have!" Brent retorted. _

_The boy roared and came at him, but Brent was ready, and was quick on his feet. As the boy raced at him, Brent grabbed his arm and used the force of his attack to throw him over his shoulder. _

'_Thank you for all those defence lessons.' He mentally thanked his dad and sister. _

_The third and final bully didn't seem all too intent on following his friend's exampled, and chose to back away. The other two started to get back, but the sound of footsteps caught their ears, and they looked up to see the principal making his way toward them. _

_Before the principal could even see them though, the boys jumped up and fled out of the corridor, outside. _

_Brent heaved a sigh of relief, and looked back to the young girl. "You all right?" he asked concerned. _

_The girl just nodded meekly at him, her hands clutching her books tightly. _

"_Hey, it's okay." He said reassuringly. "Look, just come with me to the principal. He'll make sure those guys don't bother you again." _

_The girl looked shocked at him. "No!" she began almost hysterically. "No, it's all right. They were only teasing m, nothing else." _

"_But what about all these?" he pointed at her black eye, cuts and bruises. "Look, I know what it's like to be afraid, but you can't let them get away with…" _

"_They didn't do this to me." She interrupted. _

_Brent looked at her curiously. "Oh… I just assumed that… " He stared at her injuries, wondering where she could have gotten so many painful wounds. "What in the world happened to you?" he asked finally. _

_The girl looked uncomfortably, and fiddled with her books some more. "I… fell down." She finally said. _

_Brent gave her a curious look, knowing full well she was lying, as no one could possibly get those kinds of injuries from simply falling down. He thought about questioning her further, but he knew from experience that the more he kept at her, the more guarded she would become and wouldn't tell him anything. So he decided on another approach._

"_My name's Brent, Brent Maza," he introduced himself. "What's yours?" _

_The girl looked at him quietly for a while, then smiled. "Sally. Sally O'Brien." _

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Brent smiled, as he remembered the day he first met Sally, the young girl who would forever change his life, though not in a romantic way.

He had known that she had been lying about where she had gotten her injuries from, but knew that he couldn't force the answer from her. So he decided on a simpler approach… In other words, he would be her friend, try to be there for her whenever she needed him, and when the time was right, she would tell him what was wrong.

It hadn't been a hard task, as Sally was easy to like. Although, like most boys his age, he had found the idea of hanging out with a girl to be revolting, to say the least, but in the end he had found a kindred spirit in his new friend. Sally only seemed like a girl on the outside, what with her pink dresses and golden locks, but underneath, she was a regular tomboy. She could play soccer better than any other boy on the playground.

They had hung out together for more than a month. It would have almost been fun, had it not been for the constant bruises that he found on her arms, and the occasional black eye. He felt sure that those older boys he had first seen with her, had been the cause, but as it turned out, all three boys had been on detention for three weeks, during which they had been nowhere near Sally. Yet she still came to school with fresh bruises almost every day.

Finally, one day as they were walking home from school, Brent decided to take a chance, and ask her.

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"Sally?" _Brent started, as they made their way out through the school gates._

_Sally looked to him questioningly. _

"_Who is giving you those bruises, and the black eyes?" he demanded. "And don't tell me you fell down again, because no one is __**that**__ clumsy, least of all you!" _

_Sally looked frightened. "I… I'm sorry, but… " _

"_Sally!" a loud angry voice shouted at them. _

_Brent turned and saw a large man, with a big blonde beard almost down to his neck, and harsh brown eyes. He had a vicious scowl about him too that Brent couldn't quite put his finger on, but knew instantly that he did not like. _

_The man marched over to them smartly, and grabbed Sally around the arm. _

"_I thought I told you to wait for me after school!" he bellowed into her ear. _

_Sally shook her head madly. "No, I… " _

"_Never mind! I… " Suddenly, the man stopped, seemingly noticing him for the first time. He instantly lost his scowl, and smiled at him, although the smile seemed stretched. "Who's this?" he asked. _

_Sally glanced nervously at Brent. "My… friend. His name's Brent." _

"_Very nice to meet you, Brent." Sally's father stretched out his hand, and grasped his in a strong grip. Brent suspected that he had the strength to break his arm if he so wished. _

"_Forgive my rude outburst," Sally's father continued, "but we are having friends over for dinner this evening." He turned back to his daughter. "Sally, let's go." _

_He didn't shout at her again, but there was an undeniable threat that seemed to loom in his voice. He took her hand and led her over to a red car, with a lady inside that was waiting for them. She had blonde hair too, and big blue eyes like Sally, but unlike Sally's, hers had an icy look to them. _

_Brent just stood where he was, staring, as the family started the car up and drove away. _

_Just before Sally had hurried off, Brent had gotten a good look on her arm, where apparently her father had grabbed her. He had gripped her so hard that he had left red marks all along her arm. The marks had been the exact same size, as most of the bruises on Sally's arms. _

_Brent suddenly felt like an idiot. All this time he had been thinking that Sally was being bullied by older kids, when all the time, she had suffering something far worse. _

_He stayed where he was standing for a few minutes, pondering over what he had just learned, and what he should do next. If it had been kids bullying her, he would have either told the principal, or simply sorted them out himself, but this… this was something far more extreme than even he could imagine. _

_As hordes of other children past by him, paying him no attention, as most were just eager to get home, do their homework, and settle down for a nice relaxing afternoon of playing or watching television, Brent finally decided. This was indeed too big for him to handle, but he knew someone who could. _

_Grabbing his bag, Brent raced home to his father. He couldn't do anything against Sally's parents, but he knew his dad could. _

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Brent sat, twiddling his fingers, flicking the burnt out cigarette in his hand. He wiped the sleep out of his eyes. He hadn't had sleep now for almost 20 hours, but he knew he couldn't rest, not just yet, not until he told Sash what he knew.

"Okay, what's the big deal?" his friend asked, as she came into the living room. She pinched a cigarette from Brent, lighting it quickly, and began puffing away.

Brent sighed. "Sash," he slowly started. "Sash, we may have a problem."

Just then, one of the doors opened, gaining Brent and Sash's attention.

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**Eyrie Building: **

Goliath rose from the infirmary bed, despite the doctor's orders. They warned him to allow his ribs time to heal, but Goliath chose to ignore them. To continue lying down while someone, who had attacked their home, was still free, would be considered an act of weakness on his part, something he wasn't willing to accept.

Elisa knew better than to try and convince him otherwise, so she just stood to his side, in case if he needed her assistance.

As Goliath rose to his full height, breathing deeply. His ribs still ached, but he was able to suppress the pain. Just at that moment, Brooklyn entered the infirmary, with Angela at his side.

Angela stared at her father in shock, wondering what he was doing out of bed, but a look from Elisa told her to keep her distance. She knew her father could be terribly proud and stubborn at times, so she stayed away.

"Brooklyn, have you found anything?" Goliath questioned his second-in-command.

Brooklyn shook his head. "Nothing. Guy sure knows how to do a disappearing act. I bet he could Puck lessons."

At Goliath's slow growing growl, Angela quickly intervened. "All may not be lost, father." She said. "Xanatos has been looking into all his contacts at the Illumaniti and such, to see if they can find anything about the thie… _Brent_." She corrected herself quickly, taking notice of Elisa's discomfort. "He's even contacted Sevarius to see what he knows."

Elisa scowled at the mention of Sevarius's name, but she knew he would be one of the best people to know her brother's location.

"And is Sevarius helping us out of his goodness of his heart?" Goliath asked rather sarcastically.

Brooklyn grinned. "Actually, Xanatos threatened that if he didn't tell him all that he knew, he'd send us out to _convince_ him to tell us."

Goliath grinned a little, for the first time in a long while. "And what did he have to say?"

Brooklyn lost his grin. "Nothing that we didn't know already, I'm sorry to say. He said that he had no idea that Brent, or Lightning as he calls himself now, was actually Elisa's brother. In fact, he doesn't even know for certain, which one out of all the test subjects he used, was Brent. He went through so many, and none of them chose to give their names. They were just in it for the money he promised them. And by all accounts, each one of them should be dead by now, as the experimental gene splicing he did on them, did too much cell damage."

Goliath nodded, remembering what Xanatos had told them, and wondered how anyone could allow themselves to be used as a lab rat, just for worthless pieces of metal and paper called money.

Humanity was a strange and, what he often thought, a crazy race.

"But Xanatos says he's found some members of the Illumaniti, who have used Brent's services in the past." Angela reassured them. "Some of them are out of town, but Xanatos says he'll be in touch with them soon. He assured us that if anyone knows where to find Brent, they will."

Goliath snarled slightly, angered at not knowing where his enemy was. But even more so at the fact that someone so young could have penetrated his protectorate so easily, and escaped.

Elisa touched his arm, and Goliath felt some of his anxieties melt away, as he pondered his wife's feelings. He knew this must be hard for her, as finding out her brother was a common thief, one of the things that she had devoted her life to fighting against, had to be like a blow to her stomach.

Goliath sighed, as there was nothing else he could do now until Xanatos contacted the other Illumaniti, and dawn was fast approaching. He would have to sleep soon, and then he would wake up tomorrow, healed and refreshed. Some of that gave him some comfort.

Goliath embraced his wife warmly, and Elisa gave in to his affection.

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Sash walked back into the living room. "She's asleep," she said, as she sat down beside her roommate.

Brent just nodded, as he looked out the window, at the countless lights of the city. No matter how many times he looked out this window, he never got tired of the view. New York may seem just like one big city during the day, but at night, it was like living amongst the stars.

"You know, you could have gone in to see her?" Sash suddenly asked. "It's not as though you have anything better to do?"

"Actually I do," Brent interrupted her. "Remember, I have something to tell you?"

Sash frowned at him. "What is it?"

Brent breathed deeply, and started to tell her, while in his mind, his thoughts took him back to a time long ago.

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_"Are you sure about this, Brent?" his father questioned him seriously._

_Brent had pulled his father into his study urgently, informing of what he had learnt earlier that day, about Sally and her family. _

"_I'm positive!" Brent said, slightly agitated. "I know what I saw, dad. She always has bruises down all along her arm. I thought it was one of the kids at school, but… Dad, you should have seen her dad. Before he noticed me, he was so hostile to her. I swear he was gonna beat her." _

_Peter Maza frowned. "If this is true, then I'll have to make a report at headquarters, but, Brent… Before I do any of this, I want you to go to your friend, and ask her to come forward. Even if I get the whole police in on this, it won't make any difference, unless Sally confirms what you've told me." _

"_You mean you'll just let her stay with them?" Brent asked aghast. _

_Peter sighed. "Not if I can help it, but son… If Sally insists that her family aren't doing anything to her, then there's nothing I, nor the police, can do. We have to have her confirmation, or at least some evidence that she's being mistreated." _

_Brent frowned deeply. He knew his father was right, but he knew that Sally was easily frightened. He knew that getting her to admit that what her dad, and possibly her mom, was doing was wrong. _

"_I'll try," he said finally. _

_Peter nodded and touched his son's shoulder. "That's all I ask." He said. "I'll have the report ready tomorrow, and call social services to start an investigation into the O'Brien's." _

_Brent nodded, and hugged his dad fiercely. Peter hugged him back. He would get a friend of his in child division, to start looking into the O'Brien family tomorrow. If anyone could get any dirt on them, he would. _

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"_Sally?" Brent began carefully, as he approached his friend in the morning. _

_Sally turned and looked at him, and Brent reeled back at the sight of her face. _

_Her face had once more got a split lip, and a fresh black eye. _

"_I fell down again," she smiled weakly. _

_Brent grabbed her arm suddenly, eliciting a small cry from her, as he gripped the place where her bruises were. _

"_Don't play dumb with me, Sally!" he told her sharply. "I saw the way your dad was with you yesterday! He's the one who's been doing this to you, isn't he?" _

_Sally looked at him shocked. "I don't know what... " _

"_Sally, please!" Brent almost pleaded with her. "Look at what he's done to you! You can't go on like this. How long do you think it'll be before your dad breaks your neck or something? You've gotta tell somebody!" _

_Sally's eyes widened in fear. "You can't tell anybody!" she shrieked. "You mustn't!" _

_Brent didn't release her, and just continued looking into her wide frightened eyes. "Why? Why are you protecting them? If you tell someone, you can get help. My dad can help you." _

"_No one can help," she finally said, her voice barely a whisper. _

_Brent cupped her chin, and raised her head to look at him. "I said my dad can help you." He repeated. "He's a police officer, and he has friends everywhere. If anyone can help you, he can. Just tell him what's been happening, and he'll sort everything out." _

_Sally's eyes started to emit tears, but she didn't take her gaze from him. She looked so tired, as though she had been holding onto a thin wire forever, and now that wire was beginning to break. _

"_They'll kill me if I tell." She blubbered. _

"_They?" Brent asked. "Does your mom hit you too?" _

_Sally just nodded. "They only do it when I'm bad," she tried to defend them. "Only when I do bad things, I… " _

"_Sally!" Brent held her still. "No matter what kinds of bad stuff you did. Nobody deserves to get beaten up like a dog, nobody." _

_Sally stared at him for a moment, and then she just seemed to break down, as she let loose all the tears that she had been holding back. _

_Brent didn't know what to do, and just stood there for a while, as she cried. Then he thought of what his mother would do at a time like this, and slowly he circled his arms around her, and held her. _

_Sally continued crying for a few minutes, all the while, Brent simply told her. "It's gonna be all right, Sally. My dad'll fix everything." _

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The first rays of sunlight were beginning to peak out from over the skyscrapers, as Goliath and his clan took their positions.

Goliath hissed a little, as his rips still had not fully recovered, while he got up onto his perch.

"Goliath?" Elisa spoke behind him, and he turned to give her a small smile.

Elisa smiled back, and kissed him full on the mouth. "I'll be here, waiting for you to wake up, tomorrow." She promised. "I'll see if I can find out anything about Brent, or what the Venes are up to."

Goliath nodded in thanks. "Elisa, I'm more than grateful for your help, but you don't have to chase after your brother for us. I know this must be hard for you."

Elisa sighed. "I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't rather be doing something else other than that, but… I'm a police officer, Goliath. I took an oath to uphold the law, and protect the innocent. If I weren't to do everything in my power to find Brent, then that would mean my oath meant nothing."

Goliath embraced her, knowing how much this pained her. "I understand," he said knowingly. "Just know that you have my full support, as well as that of the whole clan, our understanding, and… my love."

Elisa kissed him. "That is all in the world that I want." She said gratefully.

"Goliath?" Owen's crisp voice suddenly sounded to them.

Goliath and Elisa turned to see the major-domo looking at him, with his almost emotionless stare. "What is it?" Goliath asked rather abruptly.

Owen raised an eyebrow. "I apologise for interrupting, but Mr Xanatos thought you might like to know that he has finally got in touch with his Illumaniti contact, who has given him the information you require for locating the thief known as Lightning, also known as Brent Maza."

Goliath's eyes widened, and looked as though he was about to speak, but before he could… Sunlight suddenly streamed down on him, and Goliath's face and body became granite.

Elisa smirked a little at the expression on her husband's face. "I must say, Owen," she spoke to the Fay-turned-Human. "You have a knack for getting Goliath to fall asleep with the oddest of expressions on him."

0000000000

Sash sat there for a few moments, occasionally taking the odd puff of her cigarette, until finally she spoke.

"So what you gonna do?" she asked.

Brent shrugged. "What can I do? I knew there was a great possibility that my path would one day cross with theirs. I mean, we all live in the same freakin city, for crying out loud."

Sash nodded. "You gonna quit the B business?"

"No. Why?" he looked at her curiously.

Sash shrugged. "Just wondered. I mean, now they know who you are, and what you do."

"Just because my family are aware of me, and my business, doesn't mean I'm gonna quit it, Sash." Brent took a swig of brandy. Although only 18, he had grown into quite the drinker. "This business may not be what my folks call _honourable_, but it's what's kept us in the lap of luxury all these years. You want it to stop?"

Sash shook her head. "Personally, no. I'm just wondering what you're gonna do, when you meet up with your folks, face to face. What you gonna tell them?"

Brent frowned. "I told my sister that… "

"I said your folks, B." Sash retorted. "Not your sister."

Brent got up and walked to the window, staring out at the endless lights. "Exactly what I told my sister. Nothing's changed. I do what I gotta do, to survive."

"You'll get no argument from me there," she agreed. "I was just checking."

Brent nodded, and sat back down again.

After a few longer moments of silence, Sash spoke up again.

"Sooo… Whatever happened to this Sally girl then?" she asked interested. "Did your dad ever got her dad in jail?"

Brent shot her a look that gave her a chill.

"Hardly… " He replied.

0000000000

_"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE HAS TO GO BACK WITH THEM?" Brent shouted at his father._

_His father had returned home that night with grave news. For the past three weeks, Sally had been living with them, while the social services had been investigating her parents. His father had assured him that everything would be all right, that her parents would soon be charged, and Sally would never have to go back to them… He had been wrong. _

"_Brent, I'm sorry." Peter Maza tried to calm his youngest son. "Social services investigated, but they could find no evidence of foul play. Sally's parents have witnesses who claim that many of Sally's injuries were self-inflicted. They say that Sally has been suffering from cases of mental illnesses since she was little." _

"_They're lying!" Brent could not believe what he was hearing. His father had sworn that Sally would be all right, and now he was being told that her folks were getting off scot-free, and worse… Sally would be returning home to them. _

"_Brent! I promise you, we will fight this all the way." Peter tried to comfort his son, knowing all too well what he was feeling. He too was feeling betrayed by the service that he had dedicated his life to. He suspected that O'Brien had bribed some of the so-called witnesses that he had brought forward, maybe even had a friend or two inside the police, but he couldn't prove a damn thing. _

"_But until we do," Peter said gravely, "we have no choice, but to give Sally back to her parents…" _

"_WHAT?" Brent screamed. _

"_We don't have any choice," Peter replied. "Unless we can find undeniable proof that Sally's parents have indeed been abusing her, then by law we are obligated to give them back their daughter." _

"_Law?" Brent hissed back. "It's your stupid law that's got her into this mess! She'll die if she goes back to them, can't you see?" _

"_Brent, I… " _

"_NO!" Brent shouted at him. "Don't give me any of your law biding bullshit! I've believed in what you've been saying all my life, about the law and stuff, and where has it gotten Sally?… Straight to hell! Do you have any idea of what they're gonna do to her once they get alone in that house of theirs?" _

"_If they do anything whatsoever," Peter tried to reassure him, "then we'll have them! If she has even the slightest cut or bruise on her, then we'll… " _

"_She shouldn't have any in the first place!" Brent yelled, and ran upstairs to his room. _

_Peter stood, watching his son as he fled up to his room. He didn't want to give Sally back to those people, but if he didn't, then he could be risking a court-martial, or worse. In the end, she would still be handed back over to the O'Brien's, and he would loose everything. _

_Peter Maza sighed. "Maybe I should have listened to dad and stayed at the tribal village?" he thought out loud. _

0000000000

Sash had excused herself, after listening to the rest of Brent's tale. Despite her tough girl attitude, she had a weak heart.

Brent's eyes glistened a little, as he remembered the day when Sally had been forced to go back home.

He hadn't had the courage to tell her himself, so he had let his parents do it. He had tried to go in and see her later that night, but she wouldn't talk to anybody.

The next day, when social services had come to take her back home, she had just carried her bags to the car, got in, and left without saying goodbye, or even looking at any of them.

Brent tried to visit her, or at least call her, but every time when he did, her parents would put the phone down on him, and they even took Sally out of school. The social workers had sworn that Sally was doing fine, and there were no signs of mistreatment any longer.

A few weeks later, they received word that Sally's parents had decided to leave the state, and find a new home somewhere in Washington D.C. Because of all the media, which had severely damaged their reputations, they were unable to stay in New York anymore.

Brent had pleaded with his parents to get them to stop taking Sally with them, but once again, there was no evidence, hence no case. Sally's parents were well within their rights to leave, and were free to their daughter with them.

Brent had never even gotten the chance to say goodbye to her. By the time he even managed to find out where their house was, as he had never been there, they had already gone.

He hadn't said a word to any of his family after that. In his mind, they had all betrayed him. His father worse of all, as all his life he had been filling his head with thoughts and beliefs, convincing him that 'the system' worked, and that in the end, justice prevailed. When in truth, it had all been a croc. Sally's parents had not only escaped scot-free, but they had taken Sally with them as well.

After about three weeks, he decided that he couldn't take it anymore, and left home. He had just packed his bags one night, and managed to get a seat on a bus, leaving the city. He had spent months going from one bus to another, trains and hitchhiking, until he finally reached his destination. But by the time he got there, it was too late.

He remembered… He had just gotten off the train, which had brought him the last few miles into Washington D.C., when he noticed a newspaper stand with the latest headline.

**YOUNG GIRL BRUTALLY BEATEN TO DEATH! PARENTS CHARGED WITH FIRST DEGREE MURDER! **

He had gotten there too late. Her parents had killed Sally, several days earlier.

This time, her parents hadn't been able to bribe their way out, and were officially charged, but that was of little comfort to Brent.

Sally had trusted her life to him, and he had placed that trust in his parents, and 'the system'. As a result, Sally had probably spent the last few months terrified for her life, getting God knows what treatment from her family, only to have them end it so violently.

Brent had learned a valuable lesson that day. He realised that no matter what people said, there was no real justice in this world, only the kind that they made for themselves. The only people who could make any kind of difference were the ones at the top, with the most power, and the only way to get way up there, was to resort to the most extreme methods.

It was the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, only the strong survive. There was no real good or evil in the world, except for that what was already in human kind. The only way that anyone had any chance of making it in this world, was to accept the simple truth… It wasn't about good or evil, honour and truth, or even protecting and serving the innocent. It was about power, plain and simple, and whoever has the most power has the most control, and can make a difference.

Brent had made his decision right there and then. He had once trusted in his father's beliefs in the law, and it had cost him dearly. He wouldn't make that same mistake twice.

To make it in this world, he would do all he had to, no matter what it took. And as far as morals were concerned, he no longer had any.

**To Be Continued…**


End file.
